Reporting historic benefit fraud…

[Poofet]

I lived with my friend, her partner and their small child. I started living with them 15 years ago, and lived there for 9 years. I moved out 6 years ago.

To cut a long story short, my friend and I have fallen out due to some pretty poor behaviour over the years on her part. We have had a very on and off again friendship for years. This morning during an argument, she was sending me abusive text messages, and within one I received this morning she has said, ‘You didn’t pay enough rent when you lived with us, so I had to claim as a single mother to support myself through benefits.’

Obviously, this is absurd. I am now worried that I could be implicated in benefit fraud if I do not report it and it somehow gets discovered, I could be considered to have been part of this. Do the DWP / police even care about historic benefit fraud? Is this something I should be reporting to protect myself?

Save the message as evidence. Probably very unlikely it would ever be looked into- too busy dealing with current benefit fraudulent i’d think.

She deserves to be reported imo. Probably still committing benefit fraud now.

I i wasn’t paying a pittance I was paying the going rate fir a bedroom at that time so I dont know what she’s talking about

No you wouldn’t.

Sounds like you are just trying to come up with a proper reason to do it.

How would they prove he didn’t live there all those years ago?

OP you have been told over and over again that you won’t be in trouble as you’ve not signed anything or played any part in committing benefit fraud. What you’re talking about is aiding and abetting and it’s very difficult to prove even when the other party is guilty. It’s clear to see from your statement that you’ve been paying rent so that would speak volumes for the fact that you were a lodger and therefore very much not “in” on it as you haven’t gained from it at all unlike her and her partner. For goodness sake now just drop it, block your friend and move on. No point in keeping going over a situation in your head that is never going to happen. If you report her it will be her children that suffer. You don’t need to do this, you can just go and live your life and put this behind you.

Thank you. That’s helpful

The police have better things to do than this! They won't give a toss.

And neither will the DWP.

Just move on with your life FGS.

It will not involve you being accused of anything. You didn't make the benefit claim

But I have to agree with another poster that your post suggests to me that, actually, you are just out for revenge and dressing it up as concern that you will be implicated. Just block her and move on

Thanks everyone who has replied that is reassuring. I will sit on it for the moment. I’m struggling ti shake the sinking feeling

Block her and move on with your life. No reason at all to have anything to do with toxic people.

This.

If you want, you can tell the DWP the circumstances in which you were living there. I wouldn't start reporting them for fraud that may not have taken place.
She could easily be saying that just to be cruel or extract sympathy/money.
I personally would do nothing except block her.
You won't get in trouble for benefits fraud as it's nothing to do with your claim. If you even had one.
If she's doing something wrong it's her alone that will get in trouble. If they contact you to check anything just tell the truth.

What do you want us to say? That the prison gates will soon be shutting behind you?

😂

Are you sure you're not the toxic one? First you didnt pay enough rent now you want to get her in trouble for doing what she had to do to pay her rent. You know full well you won't be inplicated

So she helped you out for a DECADE, and that’s how you want to repay her..??

Stop trying to play it off as genuine concern, and be honest with yourself that you’re actually being petty and spiteful, and want to cause issues for her…

Is it just me or is anyone else seeing the "look what you made me do", like some kind of narc, abusive, blame shifting crap.

They alone are the perpetrators of fraud. Regardless if you lived there, they were the benefit claimant, they ticked the box and signed their name claiming for their children. You weren't the parent, partner, cohabitee living as though married, you werent in a relationship with the claimant. Being a Lodger doesn't count in that scenario, if you had your own sleep space etc.

Just leave it. She’s not going to report herself and you shouldn’t. Apart from it being a mean revenge she’d know it was you.

I paid the going rent for a bedroom during that time period, I wasn’t sponging off her!she never moaned about money before! Her being upset about money, this is the first time I’ve heard of it, it first time she’s said she had to make this benefits claim to support herself

Send her a text telling her that if it's true, you'll have no choice but to report her; but if it's not true & she texted it in the heat of the moment, she needs to let you know by text🤷‍♀️. Would that be of any help?

Everyone has told you just how cruel it would be to report her because you've fallen out. There's some lines that you just don't cross. She didn't commit a crime against you, and you know just how heavy handed the punishments are for benefit fraudsters.

Leave her alone and move on.

Reply to the text saying that clearly you had no idea that was going on at the time. Then block her. Honestly as the others have said she'd have to prove eg using written emails or texts between the two of you that you were "in on it". If the dwp haven't investigated to date they won't now. Unless you say something. Just leave it and move on

You’re not responsible for her benefit claims. Forget about it. Reporting it will only open up a can of worms.

The most important thing I've ever learned, is when to walk the fuck away instead of causing yourself more hassle.

You don't have to do anything so don't do anything.

Edit: To clarify, nobody is actually investigating your former friend as things stand?

You'll be fine
She signed her benefit claim and your name isn't on it
She's just being spiteful.
She's not a friend and I would have nothing more to do with her

Oh and Don't report benefit fraud!!
Why would you do that? Move on

Why are some posters saying that the OP is the snidey one and just looking for an excuse to grass her ex mate up? Sounds like she is worried that she could get into trouble because her so called friend has made out it's her fault she had to claim as a single mother, it's the ex mate who sounds like a cunt here not the OP and yeah I would ring and question whether or not what she is saying is true. I know full well it's completely on the ex friend but it would be a shame for her threats to come back and bite her on her arse wouldn't it.