Is it ever OK to report anyone?

[PassingStranger]

Following on from the TV licence thread is it ever OK to report for benefit fraud, car tax, TV licence, etc or does it always come back and bit you on the bum?

Would you be scared to do it?

I mean if people don’t wanna be reported for benefit fraud, TV licence dodging or not getting their car taxed, then I suggest that they don’t commit benefit fraud, they get a TV license and they get their car taxed.

They may be ‘victimless crimes’ but if you want to live in a civilised society full of good upstanding people, then you have to look at the bigger picture.

Personally I think benefit fraudsters and tax dodgers are scum. I’d really rather have a scum-less society.

Something that puts another person (or animal) at risk yes- child abuse, DV, animal neglect, drunk/drug driving, drug dealing yes.
Something that has the potential to effect another person badly probably- driving without insurance, drug taking if there are children in the house- only a small number of circumstances when I wouldn't.
Benefit fraud- if someone was really taking the piss e.g claiming they were unable to walk while walking miles over a golf course then yes. Someone doing a few hours cash in hand work probably not.
Car tax/TV licence- probably couldn't be bothered unless they pissed me off!

A friend of mine reported her mum for still claiming child benefit when mum had thrown her out of the home.

Totally agree

@PassingStranger

I agree with @catgirl1976

I was “reported” (in quotes because I was doing nothing wrong) for benefit fraud.

The stress of goi g through a compliance interview because someone was jealous I had been on holiday was rough! It makes you look at everyone around you and very distrustful because it could literally have been anyone.

So from that perspective be very sure that the person you are reporting is doing something wrong before reporting. Not least because it was a waste of time for my compliance officer who actually said to me we can tell 95% of malicious claims before we even investigate but we still have to spend the time investigating.

I would only narc if it involved a child or vulnerable person being harmed.
If someone is doing something slightly unethical I wouldn’t get involved.

Why does the reason matter? That’s the thing about lawbreakers they always look for a way to character assassinate the reporter as if that makes them less guilty.

Why should a drink driver not be reported even if they are singled out due to jealousy or revenge or ‘because I can’?
Why do witnesses have to be pure of heart (leaving themselves open to the charge of sanctimony).

I think it’s the rare situation where you can actually know someone is committing paperwork related fraud. You might suspect, but it’s hard to know for certain.

If it’s not something that would be investigated by the police, then if you don’t have hard proof, it’s best not to report on suspicion.

An old and scruffy tall motorhome parked in front of my house - Victorian terrace in London, , house windows not far from the pavement so was making my front room very dark. I don’t own the road, we all have to park where we can, everyone has the right to park anywhere they like if done legally etc. I’m hardly ever parked outside my own house short term so fine if a bit irritating.

After a month, however, without it moving at all I took a closer look and noted bald tyres so looked up the reg number to find expired tax and MOT. We have had a few vehicles dumped in our quiet side road over the years so I reported it to the council who moved it after another month and a half or so.

A few months later, a man knocked on the door asking what had happened to his van. He had just come back from travelling for months, had parked there because it was convenient for the airport, at the suggestion of his friend, who lived much further up the road. The friend had said it would be fine to stop anywhere as long as the van owner needed as long as he didn’t park outside his house ! This neighbour later came to tell me he thought I had been mean and petty, cheeky sod.

I would have to really hate that person and want to burn any relationship I had with them

I'd have to be really bitter and angry with an ex or something similar

Safeguarding always

Why do you want to do this?

It always astounds me how many seem to know the intimacies of other's lives, to the point they have enough information to report trivial things like no TV license.
Do they know or are they reporting malicously hoping for something to stick?

TV licence I wouldn't.

Benefit fraud - I really don't know enough about the benefit system to ever know if someone was being fraudulent, and I also wouldn't ever think "that person has too much money, must be fraud". But I'm not opposed in principle, if someone knows it is fraud.

Car tax - I would report someone who didn't have insurance/MOT/tax. But in practice I can't really imagine a situation where I'd know about this. I'm not going online and checking the MOT status of cars I see.

Yes:
Anything safeguarding/safety related, e.g. DV, elder abuse, drink drivers, etc.
People with power over someone else, e.g. police, politicians, etc.
Managers, e.g. public sector/NHS, corporate leaders, you know the sort.

No:
TV licensing, car tax, benefit fraud etc., not worth it tbh., and not really your responsibility, there are or should be procedures in place to detect these.

Yes but for me it depends on the severity and the wider circumstances. TV license I would never report anyone for as no one should be criminalised for not funding the BBC. Benefit fraud is a trickier one as it’s taxpayers money being stolen. I’d need to consider it very carefully.

I care because the money doesn’t come from the magic money tree it comes from the taxes we all pay.
I want my tax to go to people who are claiming benefits etc legitimately not fiddling the system.

For benefit, no, it’s up to the authorities to make sure they check all is ok. For abuse, be it human or animal, then, yes, most definitely.

Same rules as at work......
I'll report it if someone is in danger or being harmed. Otherwise I'll turn a blind eye.

How would someone even know if another person didn’t have a TV licence if they hadn’t told them ? The licensing agency wouid know if that address had one or not ? It’s not something you could easily fake or am I missing something ? Unless it’s someone declaring they don’t watch BBC at all, even on catch up on their phone.

My DD lived in a (v nice) house share for a while when she moved towns for a job - it was licensed as a HMO , because the tenants all had individual contracts with the landlord and he was very clear that they had to have individual tv licences.

Yes, I would report. It's ultimately theft and completely unfair on those that do pay and do the right thing.

Whilst I agree with this to a degree, I still don't think I would report anyone myself. Maybe I'm a bit of a hypocrite.

But I just think negative energy comes back on itself... not in the sense that I'd be worried about anyone getting 'revenge' on me, but I just think spending time and energy doing something so negative is just bad for my mental health.

I would always report safeguarding/ domestic violence etc. But for these sorts of things I would probably just shake my head and move on. It would have to be someone really awful who I felt I couldn't ignore/ let carry on with what they were doing.

Nah I wouldn’t do it

I’d report safeguarding and stuff but nothing benefit wise

Safeguarding yes…anything else definately no

Sometimes it's a family member or someone you live with, so you know pretty well.

It would be money wasted on something else….you wouldn’t end up with any more in your pocket…,I work in the nhs …..I watch your taxes being wasted day in day out🤷‍♀️

I haven’t paid a TV license in 9 years never once had a knock at the door. I have no satellite dish because I have glass so if they came round I’d say I don’t watch live TV. Down to them to prove I do.