Does this sound like benefit fraud?

[onlyjames]

Someone I know has separated from their husband but they are still living together as neither has anywhere else to live.

He still pays all of the bills and mortgage and nursery fees, her phone bill, petrol, everything.
She works and is now claiming UC as a single parent.
Is this right? She's getting all bills and mortgage paid by him and her wage is practically her own plus UC.
She's never been so well off and is going on holidays with the kids and having expensive days out because she's got no expenses other than food.
I'm not saying she doesn't deserve it if she's entitled to it fair enough but something doesn't add up.

This is the third benefit fraud thread I've read today. If you all want to report them just do it, you don't need the internet to validate your decision.

Well I don't want to report it if it seems perfectly legitimate to others which is why I was asking.

Why do you care?

If living together, they would need to be doing so as singletons who do not share their finances, so all bills divided by half. She can still claim UC legally if she is prepared to do this.

Yet another so called 'benefit fraud' thread today?

It is almost as if there is a concerted attempt to push a particular agenda...

I'm not in control of what other people post. I just asked a question.

Just report it and let the authorities decide if it is or isn’t fraud.

If they're not in a relationship, it's not fair for one person to be denied benefits on the basis that the person they live with is responsible for their financial welfare.

So no, it's not fraud, even if your friend has the audacity to be on benefits and also enjoying their life.

What is it with some people? Get on with your own life!

Don't do this. Mind your business and live your life. Maybe he will move out and cut all what he is paying and thats that. Maybe he won't. Who cares.

Have I accidentally stumbled into Nazi Germany?

I would be curious to learn of the median intelligence of the average informer.

It could be possible that they live separately, share/take turns child care and he pays for dc and she claims UC.
At some point UC will go over her claim with a fine tooth comb. 3 months of bank statements, pretty much line by line. She will have to explain who is paying her bills or regular payments into her bank account.
Just leave her be. She possibly has house move, divorce, maintenance, court, and upping her work hours to come yet.
I don't know why 2 parents, parenting together doesn't "add up" for you.

It is allowed and not fraud. It’s also pretty common. Her kids are probably entitled to FSM too if she isn’t working - as anything paid for by father is not counted in any calculation of income etc. So on paper to the government she gets nothing and receive full entitlements.

Why would UC do this? I claimed as a single parent a few years ago as me and DP split up. We still lived in the house together as I couldn’t get the nasty abusive fucker out.

All UC did was split the rent in half so that’s the only deduction they made. They knew he was living there. Only difference was he refused to pay anything so I was bloody skint only getting half rent from UC as all the bills and Direct Debits were more than my wages. UC didn’t care who paid what, they might have been interested if he was still here after a year for example but he moved out after 3 months.

i never had to provide proof that we had split up or who was paying what.

It is none of your business.

Exactly this.
Make up dodgy benefit claim/fraud stories and get people all good and frothy.

How is it any of your business? What do you gain from reporting them? Life is hard enough.

No, it doesn't sound like fraud.

Are you very underutilized, OP?

You can report anonymously and let the relevant people decide. It may well be legitimate or it may be done to claim benefits.

Report it if you really think it is fraud (I don’t think it is) but probably nothing will happen even if it’s dodgy.

I’ve reported the same person three times (it 100% is fraud) and so far there have been no consequences.

She won't be getting that much as is working as has no rent to pay. (Unless she is claiming the nursery fees which he is paying which does seem a bit dodgy)

This

No it’s not benefit fraud because these people are a figment of your imagination OP.

An acquaintance of mine once said her husband had met another woman and they were splitting up, but there was something odd about her reaction that I couldn't quite put my finger on. It was as though she wasn't really bothered, and the story had been rehearsed, no tears, no emotion, no nothing. It later transpired the husband lives on paper with his mother and my acquaintance was now claiming UC as a single parent, with hubby living unofficially in her house. I think the 'other woman' story was exactly that, a story for them to separate and claim benefits. I would never report it, but have my suspicions about why the split really came about.

It's none of your business. Why can't people just focus on their own finances rather than writing on here about shopping their family and friends to the government for suspected fraud?
Their loss won't be your gain so just forget about it.