To ask if you've ever reported somebody for benefit fraud

[Fragmentedbrain]

And if the DWP subsequently came for them

I don’t know anyone who commits benefit fraud. I know a lot of self employed people who dodge tax though.

No, but I've been reported twice, and investigated both times. The first they found I was claiming correctly and closed the investigation. The second time they found they were accidentally underpaying me and I got a nice big backpack cheque. (They didn't add the severe disability payment when my DLA rate went from middle to high).

I wouldn't report unless it was systemic fraud like multiple claims or identity fraud as you can never really know someone else's circumstances enough to know if they are entitled or not. Many of my own family have no idea exactly how some of my health issues affect me and think I'm much more able than I really am because I don't want to disclose certain things. My own mother only found out 18 months ago when I was widowed because she needed to take over some personal care my OH was doing for me.

I know how much those investigations ruined my mental health even though I knew I was innocent and would be found as such. Having people combing through your life like that is horrible.

No, I haven't.

Im sure I've also been reported by a miserable hag three times my age (school gates I was a very young mum and she was raising her grandchild because her own perfect darling was a drug addict and failure)
She decided I must be commuting fraud pretending to be single because I had a partner. I wouldn't know for sure if she reported me because I'm not even on benefits but considering she told a bunch of other school parents I was commuting fraud I guess she must of reported me to

I have. Someone who does most of their work cash in hand. While claiming maximum single parent benefits, despite living with a partner who also works cash in hand. Also getting monthly hand-outs from both parents due to supposed low income.

Has a cleaner, newish vehicle, lots of holidays (several a year). Every advantage that a full-time worker would struggle to provide.

Only time I've ever done it. But no investigation by the DWP.

Edited to say, I wouldn't want to be paid to report. That isn't the point.

How do people know so much about other people's income/benefits/ living arrangements? I mean obviously if it's part of your job you would but otherwise how do you know?
As a family we claim some benefits honestly but I don't think I've ever discussed it with anyone.

How do you know there was no investigation? They wouldn’t tell you.

This is true. Although friends of friends/family may have mentioned it. Although family were dodgy too.

Normally certain types of benifit and tax fraud are investigated by Hmrc and dwp , you are correct our department s don't tell the reason is data security, we have to obey the law as well sorry , also many people that report things are anonymous as well

The irony is that PB is government run 😂

Specifically, what tax break for the rich are you angry about? What is your definition of rich?

Yes as pb are informed to hmrc with , savings , income , private pensions and benifits and state pensions , l lost my wife in April and l reported her passing to dwp and they where fast and very helpfull and even said about funeral help , of course being a semi retired tax officer not entitled but the staff where so helpfull and polite, hope you are fairing OK out of the civil service as well .William

I have been reported. Absolutely ridiculous that the reason given was so vague (I don't fit their definition of disabled basically but the person couldn't elaborate any further)

I've reported someone too. But I was able to go into more detail

Just because others are committing worse crimes doesn’t mean you should ignore this. You’re part of the problem.

But how would you know even if there was? And what the outcome was? They could be telling you, (or anyone else, or the anyone else completely making it up)anything about what they claim, but that doesn't mean it's true, and like in my case what those people 'knew' was absolute fiction and although there was an investigation, nothing changed from what they could see, so they'd likely say that nothing was done, when the truth was nothing was to be done.

They'll get caught eventually. HMRC has access to land registry and actively looks to identify people doing this.

If someone actively asks for cash in hand payment for work, does that count?

It's very hard (I presume) to prove cash in hand work. I guess unless the DWP have photographic evidence?

it does piss me off when I see a friend who is a home hairdresser off on her long haul holiday again. She declares only a tiny amount of income and the rest is in cash. She’s single and claims UC.

Have property in trusts and avoiding tax. The rich dont waste their money. So DWP going after a woman whose husband has died is awful.

I don’t ignore - I’ve never met anyone I thought was. I know plenty of people who have been refused PIP even though they really are incapacitated by their health.
I know many disabilities are ‘invisible’ and they don’t hand money out like sweets - so if someone gets it - likely they need it.
I don’t think being someone who keeps their busybody nose out of the minutae of other people’s finances makes me part of the problem?
some on this thread should go and hang out in Iceland supermarket - they’re offering a whole £1 - every time you report a shoplifter.
Get your kicks!

Having a property you don't live in means that the value of the property counts as capital. I can't think of any property in the UK that would be worth less than the £16k that rules people out of entitlement to means tested benefits!

(There are some exemptions, eg a former matrimonial home, inherited property that you are in the process of selling, property held in a discretionary trust etc.)

Something one never, ever sees on this site. Especially not about benefits or disability. Not ever.

How do the authorities know if you own property abroad? I know someone who has a social housing property and benefits but already had a house abroad which they rent out and keep the rent in that country. Someone did “shop” them (not me!) but nothing was pursued.

I once did an appeal for a woman with learning disabilities who had been appallingly victimised by an LA housing officer. This person assumed that because he regularly saw her in a completely different part of town from where she lived early in the morning and late in the evening, she wasn't actually living in her flat. He got her housing benefit stopped and they informed DWP who stopped her other means-tested benefits.

The truth of it was that she couldn't bear being alone all day, so would visit family members. She had to live on just her DLA for over a year until the appeal went through, and she got a massive arrears payment afterwards.

Once it was all sorted out, I helped her put in a complaint about the housing officer. Her complaint was upheld and he took early retirement soon afterwards, but that may have been a coincidence.

My money, my tax, my business. Benefit frauds get reported by me.