How to actually get authorities to take action on benefit frauds

[Hattieandcake]

Examples reported and nothing done -

• someone taking cash in hand for dogs - evidence sent online of cash only sales and also including social media showing lifestyle and purchase
• someone who is lying that they are single having a partner living at their government address with ring footage available that they live their permanently - also taking cash in hand jobs - evident on footage
• someone putting their SAHM wife on payroll to reduce income claimed - no work done for the business

These are only 2 of many and nothing is done, I am sick to death of it.

I’m glad to hear but the number of pensioners visibly, actively, and worst of all, socially acceptably getting rid of their assets now in anticipation of future care seems to indicate the intent is prevalent even if they don’t always get away with it.

Not to mention how onerous it is for the council to get access back to those assets once they’ve been deprived

I know a dog walker who rakes in around £80k a year gross. I'm sure HMRC would be pretty interested in someone not paying tax on an income like that.

Great. In that case these cash in hand tradesman have nothing to fear if their accounts are checked if someone reports them.

Is this how much difference it is? Wow! My next door neighbour with a kid has a partner (the dad) living with her but he isn't listed on the property. The council are aware and don't care, weirdly. So is they committing fraud?

How do you know they don’t declare it? Do you see their tax returns?

Well, no they don't, if the accounts have been kept correctly, and the returns done correctly, why would they.

Of course they don’t. They won’t even know it’s happened. No one is suggesting they should care or not care. Should I report every trade that takes cash just in case?

When someone comes on shouting about fraud I wonder what dirty little secrets they themselves have to hide.

We were taking about someone reporting them @DeftWasp. So if they are investigated after being reported, they have nothing to fear if they’ve honestly declared their income. So why the worry?

Well that’s a pretty dumb approach

Sorry I was unclear. The lady I know DOES declare it (which is why I said £80k gross) It was just an example of how much dog walkers can earn really.

The more it is the harder it is to hide. It’s only comparable in salary to a self employed builder or plumber not declaring and there are lots of ways that’s picked up

Op literally everyone i know who is claiming benefits is doing so in one fraudulent way or another…its absolutely rife! However on here you will get short shrift because other posters prefer to sit in their ivory towers and pretend its not a massive problem. These are the same people who refuse to believe that its possible to claim PIP fraudulently because its “ so hard to get”. The only thing you can do is report them and hope that they get caught out ( highly unlikely).

But it’s not fraud is it? Legally evading tax is the Tory way.

All businesses include family members on the payroll to reduce their tax liability. They also employ accountants to utilise all the tax loopholes.

That’s why they end up paying very little tax compared to ordinary folks on PAYE who have no choice in the matter. How on earth did you not realise this? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Benefit fraud is a drop in the ocean compared to lost tax revenues from business. Do you hate immigrants too and think they’re taking our jobs?

You’re focussing on the wrong type of criminals, and playing into the hands of the Tory and Reform parties. [Sigh] 😞

benefit fraud and tax loopholes (and anything else that means the people who need it dont get help) are all our business.

the problem is that governments come in and cut the size of the civil service who deal with these things. with fewer staff things take longer or dont happen. they need to employ more staff to crack down on these frauds.

a lot of people i know commit them. pretending to be too sick to work (told me herself), another having three horses on livery while not working and claiming benefits as her taxi driver husband wasn’t earning much (aye right so he wasn’t) horses are expensive to keep. And others.

Not much worry at all, the HMRC are unlikely to be interested or have the manpower to investigate on the basis of someone saying "my dog walker has asked for cash and has a shiny new car" because nothing there indicates fraud - the HMRC might spend 5 minutes and look at the dog walkers last return and see if it looked reasonable.

One of the reasons MTD is being introduced is because HMRC no longer has the manpower or office presence to do minor investigations on the scale needed.

But it is fuck all to do with you.

You sound like the gestapo.

And besides .. what changes can you do personally do for fuck sake?

How do you know they don't declare it for tax? It's not illegal to be paid in cash.

Benefits or tax fraud are everyone’s business…we are paying for it!!

It is everything to do with me if I’m paying for it and expecting the authorities to manage those funds responsibly and distribute to those who really need it. Why do you keep insisting it’s not my business? It’s is all of society’s business. If you don’t like it, tough.

Yes- there hasn't been any response to this question.

There is no such thing as legal evasion of tax- only legal tax avoidance. All evasion is illegal

it is tax evasion to pretend your spouse works for you if they don’t

Won’t be long before you’re a pensioner and getting back far more than you ever contributed. FEAR NOT

Yanbu. But yabu for posting this on MN. MN posters love and admire benefit fraudsters so youre not going to get a balanced view on here.....

Hmmmm...And it sounds like OP has touched a nerve? Benefit claimant? Cash in hand?