Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

benefit fraud

61 replies

nailpolish · 18/08/2005 10:32

i have suspicions my dh's aunt and uncle are claiming benefit they are not entitled too. they are both retired (but not 60 yet IYSWIM) and he used to work for the jobcentre, so i think he may know a few loopholes.

dh would kill me if i grassed them up

OP posts:
starlover · 18/08/2005 10:47

oh i'd grass them up!
is that really bad?
things like that really, really piss me off... our taxes pay that!

madmarchhare · 18/08/2005 10:51

Have they always been on benefits?, or have they generally worked 'hard for a living'? How much do you think they are claiming?

hercules · 18/08/2005 10:56

I posted a thread similar to this a long time ago and had a mixed response. I decided not to report them in the end but still undecided as to the right thing to do.

emily05 · 18/08/2005 10:59

I would not grass up a member of mine or dh's family.
Especially as you are not sure what, if at all, they are commiting benefit fraud.

nailpolish · 18/08/2005 11:00

no they have never been on benefits. i dont know if i mean benefits exactly, but i think he is claiming disability or something similar, and the aunt (who is over 60) (the uncle is not 60 yet) is getting a bigger than usual state pension.

what i think they are doing is not declaring all their savings, they are extremely well off, have a large house, no mortgage, no children, live very very well, as i say have thousands of savings, but are not declaring them, he is getting disability and she gets more than the average pension (plus they have hundreds of pounds every month from private pensions - maybe they are not declaring them or something)

if igrassed them they would all know it was me

OP posts:
nailpolish · 18/08/2005 11:02

the thing is, he is a complete arsehole, tells how he used to laugh at people who had no job or money when he worked in the jobcentre. i would actually say i hated him

OP posts:
emily05 · 18/08/2005 11:03

I wouldnt do it. If dh did this to my aunt and uncle - especially if you are wrong - I would be sooooo pissed off.

madmarchhare · 18/08/2005 11:04

If its some sort of disability benefit, Im not sure, but I dont think it matters how much savings you have, or it at least can be quite a lot.

If youre not really sure I dont think you should.

You can 'grass' annonomously, I think they have a special 'grassers' line!

Do you hold a separate grudge here somewhere?!

munz · 18/08/2005 11:04

neither would I, it's up to DH really, least that's how we view the family situations, esp as they would know it was u.

madmarchhare · 18/08/2005 11:05

X posts, Aaah, so you do hate him!

madmarchhare · 18/08/2005 11:06

Munz, we tend to do that also, otherwise things can really drag on.

coppertop · 18/08/2005 11:06

If the aunt is claiming Disability Living Allowance then income and savings etc are completely disregarded. It's not a means-tested benefit IYSWIM.

madmarchhare · 18/08/2005 11:07

'means tested' thats what I meant, thank you!

madmarchhare · 18/08/2005 11:08

You may find that because he did work in the job centre he is just more aware of what he can claim IYSWIM, rather than knowing the 'loopholes' as I dont think there really are any.

puff · 18/08/2005 11:09

nailpolish, if everyone will know it's you who has "told", I'd leave well alone, particularly as you are unsure of exactly how their claiming may be fraudulent.

Caligula · 18/08/2005 11:17

I wouldn't assume people are claiming fraudulently just because they're well off. Not all benefits are means-tested.

I think it sounds like a whole load of family strife waiting to happen. Would it be worth it?

expatinscotland · 18/08/2005 11:42

As one part of a couple who lives on the poverty line and has 3 jobs between us, benefit fraud REALLY burns me up.

I won't hesistate to grass ANYONE who knowingly abuses the system.

expatinscotland · 18/08/2005 11:43

But like others have said I'd make damn sure they were actually being deliberately fraudulent.

nailpolish · 18/08/2005 12:29

im just going to leave it. dh is going to speak to his dad (his dad is the aunts brother) and he thinks his dad is going to talk to her about it without the uncle being there.

dh says his dad knows a bit more than dh and i do, and he is not very happy.

hopefully they take notice of what he says

OP posts:
madmarchhare · 18/08/2005 14:14

let us know what happens then [nosey emotion]!

nailpolish · 18/08/2005 14:15

ok

i know the aunt is coming to visit he brother (dh's dad) next week on her own (ie without her husband) and he is going to talk to her about it then.

ill let you know!

OP posts:
babyonboard · 18/08/2005 14:31

I owuld..i am currently 27 weeks pregnant, have been unable to work for the last 17 weeks and have been refused all claims to the soial for support.
Even when i turned up at the office with only £2 in my purse asking for an emergency loan for food..they said no
so people who knowingly take what they are not entitled to sickens me. I t just makes it ven harder for those genuinely in need

QueenOfQuotes · 18/08/2005 14:37

I'd tell the fraud people, they'll look into it, and if they're not being fraudulent nothing will happen, if they are then something will be done.

I'm pretty sure you can report them anonimously - so they need never know it was you.

nailpolish · 18/08/2005 14:39

they would, QOQ cos im a bitch (the black sheep in the family) (!)

OP posts:
QueenOfQuotes · 18/08/2005 14:40

but nail - it could be their friends or neighbours that had reported them - believe you me it doesn't take long for 'gossip' about possible benefit fraud to get round the neighbours lol

Swipe left for the next trending thread