Reported possible benefit fraud

[snitchapparently]

I suspect someone of claiming carers allowance fraudulently, and after bottling out several times, I just submitted a report. It’s likely to get back to me if something comes of this and I feel like the bad guy for doing it. Am I the bad guy?! Should I just not have said anything?!

To claim you need to be providing 35 hours a week of care and also earn under a certain threshold and I’m fairly sure this person meets neither of those criteria. (If I’m wrong, of course, there will be no ill effect to the claim).

Feel quite stressed.

But you are certain that the benefits bill needs shrinking, and that if we could get rid of those who shouldn’t be claiming then there would be less cuts for those that need the support.

What fraud?

The OP doesn't know that fraud has taken place.

Not in a position to ask unfortunately.

But yes, AA is likely the easiest benefit to get as it’s not assessed whatsoever. Confirmed by staff who process it!

I'd be very surprised if anyone can work full time without earning too much to claim carer's allowance, it's a very low limit. And the DWP would know through HMRC if the earnings were too high. Time wise, you can very easily care for someone for 35 hours a week even if you are at work all day

If this person is truly working full time hours even at NMW they would be earning too much to legitimately claim.

, it’s very easy to check if they are earning a full time wage, and if that’s the case, it’s right the benefit is stopped, surely

Another display of your lack of knowledge here

Earnings absolutely are linked with HMRC and DWP. I know someone whose income fluctuates and the DWP know which weeks they are from HMRC and doesn’t pay the CA for those weeks.

Yep I had the same.

The ignorance shown by the OP is staggering.

lol you have no idea how DWP works….

They migut check. But even if they do and find nothing they will still ask the person to prove that they do the 35 hours, how much they earn etc… Theyre likely to ask to bank statements over the last whatever number of years (often 5 years when it’s about fraud). The person will have x weeks to provide (from all their banks too) the paperwork. Then DWP takes theur time to decide.
And 3~4 months later, they migut say ‘oops, you were right. Nothing to see’.
And during those 4 months, the person has to do without.
Not of course talking about the stress etc….

It will not be as easy as ‘well they can easily see it no?’

More recently yes, but this is not a new claim. There’s lots of people who have earned too much and not been discovered until later down the line.

Again, if that’s the case and all is well then it’s not an issue is it.

It absolutely IS assessed. Don't care who told you that, it isn't true

But it isn't means tested. Think whoever told you that got mixed up. Or maybe you did when you were told?

You sound bitter and jealous.

Unless you live in their house and read their payslips, you have no idea what is really happening.

HMRC/DWP will know if they’re earning too much - they certainly did with me when I went £10 over one week and stopped the entire claim. Took months to re-instate.

As already pointed out, it may look like they’re going to work full time but could easily be doing volunteer work and not getting paid. Initially I did voluntarily work before getting a paid role. Now obviously I earn too much so the carers allowance is taken away. Unfortunately my caring role doesn’t disappear so it still do a hundred hours a week - just unpaid.

Ah yes, those people who earned 1 pence above the limit and were asked to pay back hundreds of pounds.

Yep they were really the kind of fraudsters you want to catch.

What do you mean it isn't assessed? Attendance allowance is based on health conditions, disability and need for personal care for pensioners. They have to fill in a form and provide supporting medical evidence of their needs. Unless you're that person's doctor, how would you know their medical needs?

Again incorrect. If you’re earning more than x you aren’t eligible.

There are also fixed criteria for AA, age and confirmed condition.

You're not even informed!

How do you KNOW that they are not "a carer in that sense of the word"?

How do you KNOW that they are "using their elderly parent as a way to get extra income essentially"?

As for AIBU - on Reddit the abbreviation would be AITA, and yes, you really are.

In what way do you believe it is assessed? It isn’t. They don’t call you in for assessment for AA, they don’t check anything. You write on the application why you think you need it, yes it needs to meet some “criteria” (but nothing like PIP etc) then they award it or don’t. No assessment.

All isn't well for people being investigated for benefit fraud; they can have their payments stopped for months while it goes on - the backlog, inefficiency and delays are extreme. It's not a case of someone quickly checking and saying oh yes it's fine, carry on.

It's an issue for the person having there monies suspended and no clue when/if they get it back again

Year ago, when I was a family carer, someone online doxxed and reported me, just to hurt me. They stopped my money and investigated me. I ate one meal a day so I could keep heating the house for my tetraplegic husband. I was so so afraid.

Even though it was dismissed, that single report marked us for life, and we were investigated over and over again - by the DSS, by tax credits, by the housing, for years. I was threatened with prosecution while lying in intensive care, near death. I had never breached a single condition of our benefit claim.

Well done OP. You've played your little part, another brick in the wall.

Caring also includes things done at carers own home . That could include many things you may not even know about . You may even jeopardise the care of the person who needs it now .

I don't think the OP is right and I've never claimed benefits.

How many assessments have you had for AA? My mothers very much was assessed, my fathers was not so much because he already had DLA from pre retirement so it was based on that assessment (far more rigourous than the AA assessment btw).

You know absolutely nothing about AA or CA, that is clear. This person will not be getting a "top up on earnings" if they are over the limit but they CAN still be classed as a carer. They just wont receive any payments.

You really are making yourself lookn more bitter and ignorant with every post. As the saying goes, when you are in a hole, stop digging.

I hope that you realise that you can be a carer for someone & not live with the person that you care for.

My friend does this for someone, who is unable to live alone unaided. (I will not be providing their full situation)

My friend manages their money; accommodation, health appointee etc

It is a stressful "job" onto of looking after their own family & working.

Would you be a carer for someone else ?

It is a huge responsibility !

How dare you !