To dob in family member - benefits

[Dragonsfoot]

I have a relative that does have health problems. They went to tribunal and were awarded higher rate PIP and have a motorbility car apparently supported by a Rottweiler of an advocate. I have no gripe that they deserve something - occasional falls, mild mental health problems, physical health problems that require monitoring and support and mild difficulties dressing themselves due to joint problems but don’t actually need to be helped. They do have a disability.

However, they are able to walk miles most of the time, decorate their home, complete domestic tasks and attend social activities on a very regular basis on foot. Morally torn. They probably will struggle without the money. Would DWP even do anything kind of thing. Either way I feel a bad person.

No, unfortunately I did it by myself and not very well. I'm quite over whelmed with life.

Just be happy for their good luck.

That's built into the law. Claimants of any benefit need to let the DWP know if anything changes. Did you not know that?

Yes, yet some people here seem to know all the comings and goings of neighbours and colleagues, all their conversations with other people, all their activities away from home. Their curtains must be fraying at the seams with all that twitching 😏

So it appears for a number of people that unless you are bed ridden or housebound you are probably playing the system?

Sorry what?

Without meaning to speak for @Thirdchildjoy I'd like to point out that the need for this is that the questions posed to claimants aren't always straightforward and are not always given in context. This is why some people might need to practice in mock interviews.

When my Dad was first assessed, the assessor asked him who walked his dogs, how often they were walked and how long for. He believed they were asking after the welfare of his pets; he didn't realise they were asking because they wanted to make a judgment on his ability to walk, so he answered honestly, he exercises his dogs for an hour each day. It was then noted that Mr Frequency can walk 3 large, strong dogs for an hour daily.

What was not written was that this "walk" consisted of him driving to a secure field, opening the boot and letting the very elderly dogs pottle around the field while he sat in the boot to recover from the exertion of getting out of the car to open the boot. The "walk" was an hour because it took him that long to catch his breath enough to get back into the car and drive back home.

He didn't tell the assessor that because he didn't realise that was what they were asking. He was given the full award on appeal after being rejected the first time.

I agree with that principle. Of course only those honestly entitled to any benefit should be the only ones who get it..

But, random relatives, friends, pub goers, neighbours etc shouldn't be the ones who decide to judge it.

My God! The drama!!

And here we have it. This is where the DWP's mythical 0.0000000% PIP fraud rate comes from.

I wonder if you are suffering from envy to be so invested in your relative's affairs.

But surely this argument can also work the other way? Unless the assessor is on the claimant's shoulder 24/7 how do they know the symptoms etc are not being exaggerated?

No a Judge should judge it as would have been the case in the Tribunal in this case.

After going to the shops yesterday (just my local high street a ten min walk away) and doing some lightish housework like emptying and filling the dishwasher, by night time I had to get my son out of bed to switch the plugs off low sockets (tv, lamps etc) because I could no longer do a simple activity like bending to switch off a socket. After a night’s sleep I am able to do more light activities but by bed time I will be in agony again. This has been my life for over two years now with no sign of improvement. I am hoping the physio will finally have some idea of how to fix this. Dr gives me meds but that is just a short term band aid.

I don’t get financial aid as was declined and can’t face it again.

On the off chance that this thread is not a wind up.

I am very glad I know no one like you OP. You are truly the worst of us

Well, it’s difficult because the government lump official error into the figures.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2024-to-2025-estimates/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-ending-fye-2025

Sadly many posters think like the OP. It is more important that they get their second ski holiday than they contribute enough to look after the vulnerable in society properly.

benefit expenditure overpaid in FYE 2025 was 3.3% (£9.5bn)
Quote from the Gov website above
What's most amazing isn't 9.5bn fraud but that 9.5bn is only 3%!!!!

Not that amazing when you consider that the greater part of benefit expenditure is pensions.

I suppose your level of amazement depends on whether you want to live in a society that protects older and disabled people and families from falling into destitution.

Pathetic. Are you on the take yourself?

So by your logic we should all just turn a blind eye should we?

No you should turn a compassionate eye.

'They simply do not have the manpower or budget to be snooping or spying. That's a myth rooted in the wishful thinking of anti benefits[possibly right wing] And here's another reason to laugh at the mythical 0.00000% PIP fraud rate. This thread is the gift that keeps on giving. Oh and of course anyone who objects to benefit fraud absolutely MUST be right wing.

Maybe it's the thought of work that triggers the panic attacks? Just a thought.

I think the problem is that the issue is not really that there are huge numbers of people scamming the benefits system. It’s that the government have decided that there isn’t enough money to support all the disabled people so they are going to move some disabled people out of the disabled category and rebrand them as able. In order to cover the fact that they are basically cutting loose vulnerable disabled people to save money they have decided to allow this (or perhaps promote this) idea that these are just bludgers who need to try harder.

It’s nonsense of course. Unsupported needs lead to more expense down the road not less.

I have all the compassion in the world for people who are genuinely disabled.