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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Benefit fraud investigation

51 replies

Sn0wpink · 27/07/2023 16:48

So have gone through CMS to try get money off my ex, we were colleagues for years and I know he gets around £500 a week cash in hand from work alone and is also getting benefits. CMS recently told me that they received evidence from HMRC that my Ex ‘earns’ £100 a week from working and is still on benefits. I contested this and now Fraud/Financial investigation is underway and they have referred the case over to Benefit Fraud. I feel quite uneasy as it will be obvious it came from me. Any advice? Should I have just left it alone? So anxious.

Anyone have firsthand experience of what happens when he is found guilty? Will he actually have to pay the money back and/or face prison sentence?

OP posts:
squigpopp · 27/07/2023 16:59

If he's playing the system, don't feel bad! It infuriates me that men do this at the expense of others. Why should he get a nice little top up of money when people (like me) are working two jobs to make ends meet!! He deserves what he gets!!!

Fightyouforthatpie · 27/07/2023 17:01

If he's found guilty (long process) he may go to prison (hard to say - a lot of factors taken into account, or may get a suspended sentence and/or unpaid work) and he will almost certainly have to pay back the benefits.
But they may not even prosecute.

Weflewinstyle · 27/07/2023 17:01

Well you told them he brought home £100 a week but you say here actually £500?

Weflewinstyle · 27/07/2023 17:01

What did you “contest”?

Weflewinstyle · 27/07/2023 17:03

Contest means disagree

FloweryName · 27/07/2023 17:04

It’s not obvious it came from you if he’s blatantly lying. He should be expecting them to investigate. You are just doing right by your children.

EsmeSusanOgg · 27/07/2023 17:05

If he is committing fraud and found guilty they will make him repay, but usually over a longish period to prevent hardship. Do not feel guilty. If he had not been lying, likely to avoid paying you child maintenance, then he would not be being investigated.

Original poster
Sn0wpink · 27/07/2023 17:06

@Weflewinstyle hmrc has evidence he earns £100 a week I’m guessing from payslips maybe?? I disagree with this as we were colleagues and he earned £500

OP posts:
EsmeSusanOgg · 27/07/2023 17:07

Weflewinstyle · 27/07/2023 17:03

Contest means disagree

She disagreed with his claims that he was on benefits because his income was £100 or less a week. She told them his income was £500 a week - and presumably provided some evidence of this. That information has triggered an I vestigation because he has been lying to DWP..

EsmeSusanOgg · 27/07/2023 17:10

@Sn0wpink

Is he self employed or PAYE? Or is he doing cash-in-hand? Regardless, if he is not accurately declaring both DWP and HMRC will be unimpressed.

But this is on him. Not you!

Weflewinstyle · 27/07/2023 17:11

EsmeSusanOgg · 27/07/2023 17:07

She disagreed with his claims that he was on benefits because his income was £100 or less a week. She told them his income was £500 a week - and presumably provided some evidence of this. That information has triggered an I vestigation because he has been lying to DWP..

Show quote history

Yes

but he was already being investigated for benefit fraud on £100 a week

so they got that far without the op

so I wouldn’t worry op. They were on to him without your help

Original poster
Sn0wpink · 27/07/2023 17:12

@EsmeSusanOgg i thinK PAYE £100 and the remaining £400 in cash… although I suspect that he has only recently become PAYE as he knew I was going to CMS. He works minimum 40 hours a week lol

OP posts:
seafronty · 27/07/2023 17:13

Good. Now inform on his employers also please.

koffeekookie · 27/07/2023 17:15

Sounds like you knew about this and we're fine with it when you were together though, only reporting now because it effects you. So for that reason YABU.

AnSolas · 27/07/2023 17:18

Sn0wpink · 27/07/2023 17:06

@Weflewinstyle hmrc has evidence he earns £100 a week I’m guessing from payslips maybe?? I disagree with this as we were colleagues and he earned £500

What proof do you still hold from that job that all your tax and NI was paid, because if the employer agreed to file false weekly earning for him you can bet they did it for others.

BarbaraofSeville · 27/07/2023 17:20

Well of course he doesn't earn £100 a week. That's about 9 hours a week at NMW so you'd only have to have a cursory glance at his lifestyle to notice that doesn't add up, especially as he'd only be entitled to minimal benefits if he's the NRP.

Sounds like his employer needs investigating because if they're complicit in one of their employees committing benefit fraud and neglecting his parental responsibilities, they're probably not above a bit of tax evasion themselves.

Original poster
Sn0wpink · 27/07/2023 17:20

@AnSolas monthly payslips and rotas that match the hours lol nothing dodgy was done for me I was 100% legit. I’m sure my PAYE account would reflect this so not worried.

OP posts:
Original poster
Sn0wpink · 27/07/2023 17:22

@BarbaraofSeville i think they’re going to be looking into him too as someone ran to DWP a few years back saying he paid cash in hand to people on benefits but he managed to get out of it somehow

OP posts:
Weflewinstyle · 27/07/2023 17:22

Sn0wpink · 27/07/2023 17:20

@AnSolas monthly payslips and rotas that match the hours lol nothing dodgy was done for me I was 100% legit. I’m sure my PAYE account would reflect this so not worried.

Really?

so your employer scammed Hmrc for your ex
you were aware of this
you lived with him and had a family with him and benefit from the fraud

but you decided to do everything by the books? 🤔

Weflewinstyle · 27/07/2023 17:23

Sn0wpink · 27/07/2023 17:20

@AnSolas monthly payslips and rotas that match the hours lol nothing dodgy was done for me I was 100% legit. I’m sure my PAYE account would reflect this so not worried.

Aside from knowing about and benefiting from the fraud when you were with him

riotlady · 27/07/2023 17:25

It depends on how much money he has incorrectly claimed- smaller amounts are dealt with as a “compliance issue” and will be recouped without a court case. Larger amounts will be prosecuted assuming they have sufficient evidence (which it sounds like they do). There are lots of things that can trigger an investigation and DWP and HMRC share information so it doesn’t necessarily point back to you- it hardly sounds like he’s been a criminal genius

Flisss · 27/07/2023 17:25

So you were OK with him fiddling things when you were together?

Mumuser124 · 27/07/2023 17:25

Op, was he refusing to pay the maintenance you entered into the child maintenance calculator?

EsmeSusanOgg · 27/07/2023 17:26

@Sn0wpink sounds like his employer is not declaring NI / tax properly too. You can report them to HMRC anonymously. But I'm sure the DWP will flag anyway.

Theunamedcat · 27/07/2023 17:27

Weflewinstyle · 27/07/2023 17:23

Aside from knowing about and benefiting from the fraud when you were with him

Show quote history

Can you prove the allegation or are you just intent on throwing mud around?

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