Should I report my cousin's benefit fraud?

[GreatAmberSnake]

Hi everyone - I'm having a bit of a moral dilemma and looking to get everyone's opinions.

My M34 cousin doesn't work, he claims PIP. I'm not that familiar with how it works but he says he's on the highest level available, and there's even talk of him getting given a car. He openly boasts at every opportunity about the extreme exaggerations and outright lies he put on his PIP application, and calls me and other members of the family idiots for working when we could just get our money from PIP like he does.

If they investigated him they would easily find that some of his lies don't add up. I believe he genuinely does have depression and anxiety, but he has no physical issues. He said he put things like his partner needs to dress him in the morning (he split from his partner a couple of years ago), needs to wear velcro shoes as he can't tie laces etc. A home visit would show up some of his lies, and a call to the school (he's a weekend Dad but sometimes picks up/drops off his sons) or the Police (he's been arrested for drug offences a couple of times) would be further proof.

The main thing stopping me from reporting him is his depression. He has attempted suicide on at least one occasion, and I fear that a potential prison sentence for fraud could send him into a spiral. Even if no-one found out it was me, I really don't want that on my conscience.

If he didn't boast all the time I would just ignore it, it's not like it affects me directly, but it just winds me up every time he goes on about. Grrrr!! I do try to minimise contact with him but sometimes it's easier said than done. If he gets this car I think he'll become even more unbearable 😡

Help! What would you do?

And your qualifications for that assertion are???

You're very close to suggesting these conditions don't exist with a comment like that. I mean, if you have groundbreaking research that proves that several hundred years of medical research has been fabricated for shits and giggles, we're all dying to hear it. Plenty of psychiatrists and doctors would need to be struck off for creating delusional diagnoses, which would be a whole can of worms. And the pharmaceutical industry would collapse.

Let me guess - it's all about resilience, having a bath, going for a walk and eating a banana in your books.

Of all the asinine comments I've seen on here, yours is in the top ten.

It's entirely up to you whether you say something or not to DWP, however, it could have serious detrimental impacts on him.

You say you aren't close to him, and so I wonder if you know the full picture - a lot of people who know me certainly don't and I receive the highest rates of both elements of PIP.

Let's just take the doing the school run thing you mentioned, unless he's able to do this every single morning and afternoon then this will count as an example to PIP being awarded as you've said he does it only occasionally - part of PIP is based on the percentage of time you cannot do things, or flipped, that you can do things.

You have to have evidence for PIP - last time I went through mine I had evidence from multiple doctors and multiple organisations (Police, victim support, a UK outdoors organisation etc.) in my experience it is not given out that freely to people, especially the mobility part in relation to mental health conditions.

People often claim they know people lying on PIP forms but the reality is that they just don't know the situation someone is going through, usually because they aren't close to that person - let's face it if you are going to come out and accuse some of lying and being fraudulent it's a good sign you don't have a great relationship with that person to start off with. Nobody has to share details of any health conditions in full with anyone else, and there stigma around mental health makes those conditions even more hard to share with people, especially those you aren't close to.

Gosh my brother can't face claiming PIP as his mental health is so.poor. his physical health is also dreadful and there's no way he can work. He tried applying for volunteering roles and they found reasons to turn him down - which I fully understand. He is an absolute shoe in for PIP but is scared of the process. Due to his suicidal thoughts I only get so far in recommending he applies and I can see it may well push him over the edge.

I can't believe the system is so dreadful that people like this get it whereas those genuinely in need but cannot face the process lose out.

100% this - do better, op

I don't think like that. Why are you convinced this is made up?

@mydogisthebest
As I've mentioned in my previous posts, a lot of people who report do not know the full story and a lot of the time the reported person isn't even on the benefits the reporter has claimed!
However, if benefits are in payment then yes, fraud reports are investigated albeit in a lower level than full on surveillance which everybody seems to want to or expects to happen!

the man has a history of suicide attempts and depression.
He would have had to provide a lot of medical proof and evidence in order to get PIP. Most people get turned down. He would have likely had interviews too

The chances are that he is downplaying the severity of his issues to family to make it seem like hes jack the lad and isnt actually seriously mentally unwell a lot of the time.

It is not easy to get PIP. Its a horrible process. You dont just apply for it and get it.

Dont get involved.

The OP spouts the usual, about free cars, bragging, making up health issues. Textbook really.

I'd report. If he's "innocent" then nothing bad will happen. If he is fraudulently claiming, then he deserves all the punishments he gets.

Yep. It is like disability benefits bashing bingo.

Sadly, MNHQ don't give a toss. Hatred drives traffic to threads, so all good.

Not sure this true though. My (adult) DD gets PIP. The diagnosis letters were submitted as proof of the conditions, but PIP is awarded for the impact it has upon her life, which was purely evidenced by the form filling and then double checked via a telephone call.

We did have one home visit to have me vetted to be her representative (forget what they called it) where she was observed during her giving permission, but they didn’t need any evidence whatsoever of the claims I was making (eg that she cannot be trusted to cook food/live alone because she regularly leave the stove on which is a danger to other family members; that she can only use public transport on established routes, with a friend/family member waiting at the other end; that a parent has to be on standby to go and collect from college or any trip out with friends in case of meltdown- including my driving at 4am to London on NYs day) etc.

They took everything I said as ‘truth’ (it was and I was clear that I was applying so that she had her own money to scaffold her into Higher Ed, to cover taxis to college as needed, pay for private therapy or medications only prescribed privately until shared care can be agreed).

Not being goady but if it’s notoriously difficult to claim, why are 50% of claims approved and we have 3.5 million people claiming it? We spend more on disability benefits than our entire military budget, so it must be a lot?

You make a good point, and I don’t know. Maybe people who aren’t fairly sure of qualifying are put off. I heard that very few are approved on first application, but if you choose to appeal most are then approved. Which sounds to me like the system is pretty broken. But you’re right - it’s a massive (over)spend.

@Wildflowers99

Not being goady but if it’s notoriously difficult to claim, why are 50% of claims approved and we have 3.5 million people claiming it? We spend more on disability benefits than our entire military budget, so it must be a lot?

Becsue we have lots of people living with disabilities. Oh and 50% isn't loads in terms of claims being approved, is it? It's almost as if it's just half.

Fyi.... when he decides to get a car, he is paying for it out of the PIP, it's not an extra benefit.

It’s not loads but my point was I wouldn’t call 50% ‘notoriously difficult’, 10% perhaps although I acknowledge it’s subjective.

@Wildflowers99

It’s not loads but my point was I wouldn’t call 50% ‘notoriously difficult’, 10% perhaps although I acknowledge it’s subjective.

You are basing difficult on people being awarded v not awarded though. When mulls the % who have been awarded have found it very difficult. Obviously there are stories of people who sail through this every time with little evidence but the truth is the vast majority of the 50% who are awarded will have also found it difficult.

People claiming benefits fraudulently and taking from those who genuinely need it is everyone's business.

I would report him. Too many people with real problems are being turned away because of nasty liars who cheat the system.

But we weren’t discussing PIP applications being difficult to complete. We were talking about it being difficult to claim. Most people would take the ordinary meaning of that as ‘difficult to be approved for’. I think you know this

@Wildflowers99

But we weren’t discussing PIP applications being difficult to complete. We were talking about it being difficult to claim. Most people would take the ordinary meaning of that as ‘difficult to be approved for’. I think you know this

I do know this as it's exactly what i was talking about. I'm not sure why you think I'm talking about filling out a form. I'm not.

When people have posted about benefit fraud on here in the past they quite often get told to ‘MYOB’. Perhaps it’s now dawning on people that those who abuse the system are making everything cost more for everyone.

No that is not true. Unless you are suggesting that you know for a fact that the DWP has quotas for people claiming PIP.

But what else is he getting out of this. Probably housing benefit and other benefits. 700 quid is a decent amount if you have no mortgage or rent to pay. I have a cousin who gets pip and care allowance for his brother. Both are drug addicts. All problems caused by themselves. Never worked a day in their lives.

@Whippetlovely

700 quid is a decent amount if you have no mortgage or rent to pay

I hardly think you could call £700 for all bills and food a decent amount.

It's not that simple as there will be UC involved too so his actual income should be more, but let's not pretend £700 is 'decent'