anyone reported anyone for benefit fraud?

[ogri]

hi all
like to say this is not a shoot me down in flames thread and dont want it to be.
i am just very interested.
i know a couple with a young baby, who are claiming every benefit they can, and they both work for cash in hand.
they have the latest mobile phones and the guys trainers cost more than my whole outfit.
it is really starting to p**s me off. my hubby works really hard and every month we are scraping the bucket at the end of the month.
why should we be the honest ones who are skint and they get everything.
so has anyone reported someone. did you feel guilty.
thanks for any replies

typo crept in there - meant to say 'security'.

I told the person who was cheating she was a cheat. As if she cared! She already knew she was! What's the point in confronting these fraudsters - hello? Most know damn well what they're doing. Besides, why risk being assualted or abused b/c THEY are breaking the law?

This person felt that it was okay b/c whoever processed her application was obviously more ignorant of her visa restrictions when she was. Well, sorry, just b/c a person didn't get caught speeding doesn't all the sudden make it legal.

I agree, TVI and toothboy, I'd love to be able to stay home w/my child, but I'm not a lying cheat.

And don't have a problem shopping those who are. As for the fact that it's done in anger, well, hey, a lot of people who report rape, assualt of theft of their property are pretty angry. Does that mean they should just let it lie?

Edam - you are probably right - I can't speak for others! Although obviously we can't assume everyone that asks for cash is up to no good.
But just to make it clear that I'm not against people claiming benefits if they are entitled, just those that are helping themselves when they don't need to.

Hi, having read this thread would be grateful for any advice.

I am on verge of technically considering 'benefit' fraud. Dont shoot me down yet as in tricky situation. Live with new bf for last 12 months and pay him rent and have a tentancy agreement with him. He does not support in any financial way. I have a very small income (full time student). He does not and will not support my child financially (not his dad) andwe have recently had some arguments surronding this. Xp does not supprt son either. As single parent am entitled to help with childcare and also child tax credit. But as am living with bf i dont know that i can claim as a single parent. If I claim taking his salary into account he earns in excess of £30K (trust me I dont see any of it). Our relationship is also on the rocks and dont know if we will be together this time next month tbh.
My dilemma is, do I claim for help as single full time student? Or do I get penalised for bf's income when he does not and will not support my son who is not his. To make matters worse my sons dad is not currently supporting him either. I have very very little money and what i have goes on son and rent to bf.

God, you chose the right posting name for this question. Seems very unfair that you are burdened with not being able to move in with someone unless they provide for your son! No idea what the rules are but appreciate your dilemma. I wouldn't blame you for claiming, personally, but it could be dangerous for you if you do bend the rules and get caught.

literally have the papers here to complete and just dont know wheter to tick single or not. Thing is relationship is dead shaky too right now.

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How do you live with your bf and yet pay him rent and have a tenancy agreement rockandahardplace?

That's a tricky situation and I do have some sympathy, however in the eyes of the law (and the benefit regulations) you are living as a family unit. The fact that your boyfriend won't financially support your son is between you and him. If you claim Income Support as a single person, you will be asked about your son's father so they can pass his details to the CSA. If you refuse, they probably wouldn't pay your IS. If you declare your true circumstances you probably wouldn't be entitled to any benefit, although would be able to claim Child Tax Credit. At the end of the day, it looks to me as though you have some difficult life decisions to make and I don't want to judge you for that. Hope it all works out for you.

I live in same house as bf (which he owns and pay him rent for a bedroom which is now my sons. he has written a rental/tenency agreement to make sure if we split up i dont claim anything i think.

I cant claim for income support anyway as a full time studnet but i could claim for child tax credit and help with tution fees from funding body

Re is bf right person. Am not sure about that tbh. When we got together it was pretty much on the basis of see how things go, nothing heavy. Howver he said it would be easier us all living together and me paying rent although now it is time for me to claim for help he wont give financial details and wont support.

tbh it pisses me off because me and ds come as a package iykwim. I am not trying to gold dig either.

Oh and it isnt like we even have sex nowady

I commit benefit fraud, I think it's fraud anyway, I am a single parent and am entitled to the benefits I claim, ds is severely physically disabled and I'm unable to work, but I don't declare the money xdp pays me in child support. It is only a small amount really, but it would affect the benefits I get and right now I only just break even on what I get - including the money I get form him.
The reason for this is that no-one could find or provide suitable housing for ds and me, so I have had to privately rent something which is very expensive, and although I receive housing benefit they will not cover the whole cost, money from xdp pays the remainder of the rent. If I declared this, I wouldn't be able to afford to live here.
So what should I do? declare this money and be unable to pay my rent?

Hmm. 'Boyfriend' as landord. A man who earns in excess of £30K but takes 'rent' from a penniless single mum who's trying to better herself by studying. Forgive me for saying so, but I think you'd get a better deal from having the Council as a landlord. At least they don't expect you to share their bed and pay them from a big pot o' nothing for the privilege.

If he's this selfish about money, what else is he niggardly with?

Easy solution? Tick the single box, then make yourself so. Go to the Housing Office and tell them about your relationship breakdown.

I am seriously seriously considering it. He has just drivin up from night out so may have to sign off. Thing is I want to give a chance to change iykwim but i know i might just be being stupid. My family thinks he is amazing (hard working, polite, intelligent etc). I have let family down alot recently and sit is very complex and wouldnt be able to leave till at least Sept.

For all my comments about 'lying, cheating fraudsters' im seeing that its not so black and white now. Sorry

Um, rock hon, your family doesn't have to wake up next to this 'wonderful' man who treats you as a paid lodger (with benefits) every day. You do.

And you can leave whenever you want. You simply make an appointment w/the Housing Officer and tell them the truth: that you're impending homeless due to a relationship breakdown.

How about giving yourself a chance - to live life on your own terms and possibly even one day meet someone whose got a little more to give emotionally?

expat - thank you. Wish I could make bold decisions tbh. I will end up mulling for a while and just seeing how things go cos i am too scared of getting it wrong. I have so many times. Also sacred xp will then take ds saying 'single mom, student, no stability etc' - there is a bit more to it but for risk of identifying myself i cant explain.

so lets say rickman gets erm erm... £20,000 as the half of the equity from a property. if rickman doesn't declare it thats 20K worth of benefit fraud. but....i say but... that's ok, becuase its not a lifestyle choice!

i hope i am not the only one who sees the failing in this argument.

alsostuck...your situation intrigues me - again its a lifestyle choice for you - but one which the great mumsnet jury have not condemned.

what your saying is - you live in a nice house - you are able to do this becuase your fiddlin the dss. your excuse is that there is no housing for you and your disabled child.

now, thats just not true. we both know it. you may have to wait for some disabled adaps and a property to come available - but your not bridging a gap are you? what you are doing is living in a nicer area than the council would put you.

you are fiddling the dss becuase your a snob.

irony

it intrigues me the "Acceptable" fiddle and the "not"

it is black and white or it isn't your either a tax theif - taking my hard earned money for your nicer house or your childs future -or ...well or what?

Custardo it actually is true that there is no housing for myself and ds, I have been on waiting lists for three and a half years, the house I was in was unsuitable for adaptions, and I was only able to be considered for a ground floor flat due to ds's condition. I was shown and offered a few flats but none were remotely suitable - they wern't wheelchair accesable and were not able to be adapted.
It is true that I could have continued to wait on the lists, but I went and found somewhere myself because life was becoming unbearable for us in the house we were in, and my own health was deteriorating because of it - I have arthritis and having to carry a very chunky! ds up and down stairs constantly was just not bearable anymore.
The place I have rented is in exactly the same area I was in before, it is not a 'nicer area than the council would put me' It is exactly where the council put me in my previous house, unfortunately rentals are ridiculously expensive here.
I am still on all the housing waiting lists and should something suitable become available I would take it - I don't like being in this situation. I have always condemned benefit fraud, now having found myself in the situation I'm in, I realise it isn't always black and white.
I don't have any luxuries, I don't go on holidays, I don't own a car - though god knows we need one! I don't drink, I don't smoke, in fact the only small luxury I allow myself is the internet! without which I think I'd go mad! lol
If there really is a way out of my situation I'd be glad to take it, I have done everything I can to not be here.
I'm certainly not a snob but neither do I consider myself a 'lying scrounger' I don't like what I have to do, but I see it as a necessary evil at this time in my life, and I don't intend to be living this way forever.
It truly isn't as black and white as some people would like to think.

no but i would like too, i have a MIL who on full dissability yet does all her own decorating goes abroad twice a year on holiday doing alsorts of things she reakons she cant digs and plants her own garden it infuriates me

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Equity in a property? WTF? Where was that?

Damn, owning ANY sort of home of our own is a far off dream. There's no way on Earth we could right now barring a Lotto win or a long-lost rich uncle who popped his clogs.

If I had equity, I'd be so happy not to have to deal with friggin' tax credits anymore.

I just wanted to add that a very reliable source told me that the average tax payer pays £15 in tax every week that is paid out in fraudulent claims. UNtil recently I worked for DWP so I believe this is true.

And yes I'm afraid I would report them. You can do it anonymously by letter, phone or on the INternet. THe more information you provide the more chance of them being caught.

Sorry (which you clearly aren't or you'd stop doing it), you typed "I do it so I can stay at home with my dd until I feel she is old enough to be left."

So, you believe it's okay to cheat the system so you can stay home with your child rather than go to work whilst other people don't get to stay home with their kids because they go to work and pay their taxes to give you a priviledge they they themselves can not afford. And you don't regard that position as just a tad bit selfish?

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