To report friend for fraud?

[Bbttrr]

NC as outing.

Friend "A" is working cash in hand whilst claiming benefits. Flaunts her outings, holidays, purchases etc online constantly. Openly advertises her cash in hand work on social media. Claims a healthy sum each month in benefits whilst living in a 1/4+ mil house.

Would IBU to report her?

I’m not commenting on the veracity of this poster or the rights and wrongs of reporting someone if you thought they were a benefit cheat, but, for all those asking where you can buy a £250k detached 5 bedroom house, I just did a Rightmove search within 40 miles of Hartlepool and I was surprised to see some newish build houses do fall into that category. They may not be in salubrious locations, and the bedrooms might be tiny, but they do exist. I imagine other pockets of cheap houses exist around deprived areas.

It makes it sound like a lot. Deal or no deal kind of vibes. Really 250k is just a two bed terraced house in most parts of the country.

Er, no, this is not how you speak about a friend? I can't imagine a situation where someone living their own life would 'annoy' me. Just bizarre...

Report her. She’s ripping tax payers off. Scum.

There are loads of 5 bedroom houses at 250k in my area. This one has ten bedrooms!
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/125431034#/?channel=RES_BUY

Anyway, if you have concerns about fraud OP please report using anonymous channels.

I don't know why people are asking how it affects you. It's fairly obvious this behaviour affects every honest tax payer.

OP you must know the MNs rules? Basically never myob on anyything & other posters shouldn’t either cause otherwise the whole forum thing doesn’t really exist. So it’s fine to speculate on real life deaths, crimes, gossip about celebs, wonder what your neighbours are really getting up to, etc. but always myob when it comes to benefit fraud.

👏

I don't know why people are asking how it affects you. It's fairly obvious this behaviour affects every honest tax payer.

Could it be because the ones who question how it impacts also partake in a bit of benefit fraud? And/or don’t understand how taxes work?

Some friend you are!

But ultimately it’s up to you. I once worked for the DWP and one client said his back was so bad that he could barely walk. He was then caught on video competing in (County Name) Strongest Man competition, which he won!

That said, corruption is so entrenched in this country that certain MPs and business owners get away with infinitely worse sins. Just look at the PPE scandal. Personally, I’d keep my mouth shut about the woman next door having a lodger or working a low-paid side job.

Yes, report her.

You do know that the basis of Universal Credit is that it pays to work? How do you know that her work has not been declared and has been included in her assessment? Not sure what five bedrooms has to do with it - presumably she needs to house her family.

im actually a bit smug... sounds really swanky doesn't it.. quarter of a mil pound house... i live in a house worth a quarter of a million pounds! the only bit missing is the extra 3 bedrooms...

I am more concerned about people with a filthy amount of money that avoid tax !

this is all I want to know too! Deets please

She sounds a bit thick. What sort of idiot would plaster it all over social media?

And me . £250K in our area would be a garden shed if you are lucky!

Yes - Report her. I work for the DWP. Those asking "How does it affect you" - Your tax money is paying her benefits...it effects every single person in this thread who works. They are stealing straight from your pocket.

People are very naive!

There's a Fraud hotline number you can call and they will check her socials once you tell them. Take screenshots and send them on.

While we are all out here playing by the rules and slogging our guts out, NHS under pressure, local authorities under pressure, lack of services for mental health and children, elderly being hit - This cretin is taking everyone for a mug and swanning about with your tax money.

Cash-in-hand cannot be declared - She would need an accounts ledger book with payments from employer to show the DWP. Cash in hand means it's not registered under her NINO, so the DWP will not know. Once you report her then they will track her socials and everything else. Also, unless her employer is also paying her legally and has her NINO registered as employed; nobody is going to know and the employer is also commiting fraud with tax avoidance. So it's a double whammy on everyone who legally pays tax. With the continuation of this debt on tax and a deficit, it adds to the causation of rises in tax.

MYOB or get her to drop you 10% to keep schtum?

Why have you used the word 'friend' OP? Curious...because you're NOT her friend, are you? 🙄

I honestly think that the country has become like the Wild West - people read about all the fraud and corruption that went on particularly in last 6 or 7 years - contracts for mates, even the current Tory leadership candidate Jenrickcwas getting back handers to turn a blind eye to planning deals- they then think 'well it's no big deal if I get £500 a month extra' - they are all at it' and although it's a different kind of fraud-sadly they have a point. You can be a friend in theory and still think someone's behaviour is 'bang out of order'

You’ve just convinced me.
Report her.

You can't imagine how a friend benefiting from cheating the system becomes annoying? They weren't doing this when our friendship started.
But now I resent the fact she has access to a large pot of money, so can work very little and claim benefits because she can get away with it.

Actually, for one person, a £250k house IS a lot. Keep in mind that most houses are bought between two people, so that would be equivalent to a colossal £500k home.

Also keen to know location of detached 5 bedroom houses for £250K - we’d all like one, OP.

As the amount of benefit fraud is roughly 2.8% in the UK, I think the 97.2% of honest claims is rather encouraging.

If you are “friends” with one of that 2.8%, shop them if you want to. But maybe reconsider your definition of Friendship.