You know what? I commit "benefit fraud "and I think I'm justified

[ScroungingSingleMum]

I'm a single mum , whose ex left three years ago and has consistently refused to pay anything (and I mean anything - not even a penny) in maintenance.

From my benefits (£59 IS, £45 CTC, £18 CB - so a total of £122 a week) I am losing £15.26 a week in repayments for the loan I had to take out to secure my child and myself a home after ex did a vanishing act and the council refused to house us. Every week I need to pay nearly £15 for gas and electricity (yes, the heating is on a low setting, but we live in a cold rural area and have no double glazing), £4.50 for TV licence, £4 for Water, £8 for phone/internet connection (yes, I know its not a necessity but I have to have some way to get contact with the rest of the world - being on my own in the countryside means I don't get out much), £4.50 every time we need to get the bus into town for shopping/doctor/library/semblance of social life etc, £15 for the taxi home if I need to do a big shop, oh and feed us a healthy diet, clothe/shoe us adequately, find the money to take my child to see ex (I know thats not my job, but if I didn't do it the relationship would be lost which would IMO be a tragedy for my child), I try to save something, however small, so that we have a fallback fund for holidays/birthdays/disasters...

I am entitled to keep £10 of any maintenance ex pays - but he doesn't pay any, so we don't get that premium.

I refuse to get into debt (other than the Budgeting Loan from the Social Fund that I have) and we do not have a car, or a big new telly (we have one that I found in a skip in fact). I economise wherever I can but its very very hard.

So... I clean the old lady three-doors-down's house for four hours a week for £6 an hour. It means I can have a bottle of wine once in a while, or a coffee before getting the bus 6 miles home after a morning luging the shopping round town, or have a friend over for a meal sometimes, or buy new (by which I mean secondhand-but-new-to-me) clothes every now and then.

And you know what? If you begrudge me that then fuck you.

Do be careful. Although you probably aren't much over the amount that you are allowed to earn, the fact that you haven't told the benefits people would mean that you are committing benefit fraud, and if you think they wouldn't bother taking it far for such a small amount, then believe me they would.

I was also going to suggest shopping online, it would cost you about £5 for delivery rather than £15 for a taxi, that's what I do and I recon it saves me loads as I can buy in bulk more than I could carry and don't buy any impulse things, just what I need for the meals I've planned out.

what was the outcome when they spoke toy nutty? wasn;t there some misunderstanding or you x stayed for a couple of nights or something?? or was that someone else?

saves me loads too OMDB. even with the delivery charge I probably spend ~20-30 less online. and you can see everytihing that's on offer right in front of you,

It was me yes. I accepted the caution in the end as my health would not have stood up to a court case, or any further hasle from them, and I got them to put it in writing that it wouldn't appear in a seacrh for a CRB check for example.

That's not benefit fraud, that's providing a very useful service to the neighbour and making up for the uselessness of your ex

In my situation, I didn't actually benefit financially at all, as xp wasn't working or claiming, and I was claiming as a single parent, so I was actually underclaiming, but it was still classed as benefit fraud.

They worked out that I claimed about £8 when I shouldn't of.

I somehow think though that the two interviews, and the person that they say had me under surveliance, cost alot more than the £8 they think I had taken from them.

Can't shop online - no credit/debit card!

Mum-of-ex is hopeless - she tells me he is a "free spirit" and that I need to get used to it as he will never change - well No, he won't if she carries on enabling him will he?!

I know it would get me into trouble if I were caught and I'm very careful not to be - I can't declare it tho as its cash so I have no proof of how much I earn.

Anyway, my point is just that "benefit fraud" means all kinds of things and isn't restricted to those who are flashing it around and really taking the piss. Even on a week where I do a couple of extra hours, the money I earn does not even bring me up to the level of benefit I'd get if ex paid and I had no loan repayments taken from my benefit before its given to me.

Agree with the 4 yo age thing. Are you planning on home ed f/t as dc gets older?

If you are finding living on the benefits a real drag (and IME it is) school does eventually offer a heck of a lot of free child care IYSWIM and could eventually be the answer to your financial squeeze. dSS - that one always makes me larf - can help you with training and getting back into things, it can really work well.

Dc at school and reduction in childcare costs was a real corner turner for me, especially with the FTC's etc. If you don't like having to do the cash in hand thingy, and you don't seem to enjoy the prospect of getting done for fraud, it is a way out.

The problem is SSM, if someone grasses on you, then they will investigate and you will accused of benefit fraud, even if you haven't earnt more than you should etc.

I am not saying that what you are doing is wrong, just to be careful, because it was one of the most stressful experiences of my life when I got accused, I really though i'd go mad, and they treated me like absolute shite.

A mum recently offered me money to take her kids to school for her. It was only £15 a week, but I turned it down, as I just can't risk being dragged through the shit by the benefits agency again.

Asda accept Electron now too, as do Sainsburys.

You can get benefits paid directly into a bank account AND get CB paid straight into one too. This can work to get an account opened IYSWIM.

I can't understand why you are home educating your daughter if it has such a huge impact on the rest of your life but that is a choice you make - IMO - and I will get slain for this - you are only in the position you are because you are choosing to home ed - so your benefit fraud is fraud - you are choosig to be on benefits because you are choosing to keep your child out of the school system and not work therefore claiming benefits that you don't have to because your child could be in school and you could be working!

Your convictions of the state school system must be very strong to put yourself in such a position.

I had this arguement on here 3 years ago with someone who chose to home ed her 2 kids she had - because she was entitled to have kids, whether she could afford them or not - because she wanted them - had no input from the fathers because that was her choice and I am afraid my point of view has not changed. By choosig to home ed you are choosing the life you have.

God this is pissing me off - the benefit system is there for people in dire straights, as a safety net - it is not a lifestyle choice you can make because you want home ed.

I can't believe I am the only person who thinks this is a blatant misuse of the benefit system!

Sorry but actually I don't think this is legally wrong and it blardy shouldn't be either - go girl go - have a glass for me and say cheers to old dears

From what she posted I understood that she is going to home ed - if this is the case I stand by my POV.

Is there a difference between stealing and stealing? stealing by one MN's is ok but not by another MN's? hardly fair is it?

Does the lady you clean for need help because she is disabled and reciving a disability benefit? If she is you could claim carers allowance for looking after her- this would mean you would be better off by declaring it to the dwp as u would get a carers premium too.

fiodyl - only if she is caring for the lady for 36 hours a week.
In which case yes you would get a carers allowance but you would have a reduction in yoru IS.

Like I said, my earnings still do not bring my income up to the level I am entitled to - so yes, technically fraud but hardly morally so IMO.

And if I wish to HE then I consider that to be my right, and the right of my child to have the best education I can offer her. And what of the saving to the taxpayer that will be made by my child not going through the state school system?

Its not so simple as people like to think.