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.

Thank goodness for that.

It's mostly women who bare the burden for caring.

What a load of bollocks! They do phone assessments in the same way they do for PIP.

No, I don't think you really do. I held done a full time job and was carer to my husband when I got home, which meant being up half the night with him. Then getting up and doing it all again.

BTW - 35hrs of caring per week is 5hrs a day, 7 days a week. A full time worker coming home to care for their loved one can easily do this and more.

Trust me.

One would hope that now you have reported and you get confronted that you have the balls to admit it.

We got a call from DWP to say there was a conference call happening between hospital, GP and the rehab/respite mum went to in order to confirm or deny eligibility for Attendance Allowance. It took 6 months to come through.

you might know staff who agree it without checking but it isn't a norm, I think.

Carers allowance, fraudulently? It's about fifty quid a week isn't it? Not exactly a kings ransom. And how do you know it's fraudulent? You'd have to live with them to be sure.

Caring for people us a thankless task and millions more act in a caring role than receive said benefit. It doesn't anywhere near cover what the role requires in any meaningful manner.

So yeah, in my eyes you haven't done anything to be particularly admired. I'd imagine it's because you don't like someone and wish to make their lives more difficult. It certainly won't make yours any better by reporting them.

But it's done now. If I were you I'd think twice about poking your noses into others' affairs in future and focus on trying to make your own life better.

Probably a bit dramatic. They’re not groundless, there’s no fantasy involved from my point of view and there’s nothing to be jealous of with this person?

My intention was certainly not to ruin anyone’s lives, other people’s real experiences have been shocking to hear.

@ACynicalDad those who claim incorrectly is an incredibly low percentage and are made out to be more than they are to create a red herring that distracts people from a capitalist government who doesn't want to be funding our most vulnerable.

If the person reported by op is investigated and found to be innocent, then there isn’t a problem.

When I claimed that, 9 months later a letter went to the person I'm caring for. They were informed and had to fill in a form. So for that reason I'd stay out of it.

That was truly my thought. I see here others have not had that experience. I wasn’t trying to be evil, I was trying to be fair.

Of course I can make that claim. And I stand by it 100%.

You've just said to someone "I can see that, it’s incredibly unfair of a system to do that to you."

How can you not know that that's what the system does to people?

It is simply not credible for you to claim that you don't know - the cruelty of the DWP is widely reported and has been for years.

So yes - you knew what you were doing, you wanted to hurt these people because you felt they were getting something they weren't entitled to you and oh boo hoo that's not fair on you.

Sorry, I’m not sure I understand? What letter and why?

No - being fair was the last thing you were trying to be.

You can stand by whatever you like, it doesn’t make you right.

If the person claiming legitimate it still causes a huge amount of stress .

I have never been investigated but it doesn’t take much to work out been investigated for fraud , wondering who reported you , who you can trust . Doesn’t have an impact for something OP has an idea about

its clearly someone you don’t like at all

i suspect a sibling , or ex

ok you may be right to end a person’s fraudulent claim

how are you going to deal with the fall out? , you will probably be found out because there will be a small circle of people who know they claim the allowance and even smaller circle who know are in the know enough to know it’s fraudulent

Carers allowance, fraudulently? It's about fifty quid a week isn't it? Not exactly a kings ransom.

You'd be better off getting your next door neighbour to setup a shonky PPE company. OP would wave that through.

My version of fair is that taxpayers money is used appropriately and claimed by people entitled. Which is all I was aiming for.

What size cape do you take ?

And now?

Now that you know that they may well have an active claim but not be receiving any money (information that is easily found via a quick google)?

Shame all your apparent soul searching didnt involve hard fact searching before you decided to throw a hand grenade into someone elses life.

The fact you have come to mumnet to ask if you are the bad guy suggest to me that you think you may have done something wrong. I understand your rational for reporting the person. You seem to suggest a person cannot be carer because they work full-time. This lis like saying a persona cannot be a parent because their child go to nursery or school. There is 24 hours in a day. I personally wouldn't report a carer - my friend had to care for both her parents at different period. She was broke. I gave her money on occasions. Even if someone is doing cash and hand - that person is saving the government a lot of pay. It cost lots of money for professional carers.

Are you a reporter?

They can’t work full time because you can’t get carers allowance if you earn over £125pw. You, OP, don’t have all the information.

You are in the wrong here.