Little traffic on Lone Parents board so will post here.
My children's absent father claims (and fiddles) benefits, has done since his early 20s.
He also sells specialist electronic items online on fleabay. Obviously he doesn't declare this to the benefits people. Although he's a hoarder, he isn't necessarily justsellingon his own stuff, having lived with him, I know he buys from police auctions, etc to re-sell.
I have never asked for a financial contribution from him (even when living with and financially supporting him as he never was employed), nor have I since Ileft him after 7 years of DV issues.
He hasn't contacted his children in nearly 15 months now. Contact stopped once I complained I couldn't pay his petrol and accommodation any longer.
As he is now selling on fleabay again (his listings are very obviously his, no mistake) and coinciding with the fact Ihave just spent 6 months worried the children could be taken away as he opened a solicitor case for custody, thenneverturned up to mediation or anything consequently they dropped the case. (He texted to say he just did it to cause me 'utmost wrath'.)
I have struggled financially since leaving, taking our 4 week old baby amd then 3 year old. He has never offered financial assistance, instead insisting 'the taxpayers can pay' as I was then claiming full lone parent benefits.
I'm tempted to now ask for a contribution because I have been struggling to get my daughter to school (5 miles) and come September both children wil, be at different infant schools 5 miles apart. He won't help if I ask.
But if I reported him to the CSA as having an income by linking to his fleabay listings, do you think he would be caught out? Bearing in mind he always covers his tracks, and has used totally fake names and addresses before on that site, although presumably he can't make a fake bank account, but he has used my Paypal in the past, so is probably using his friends Paypal to take payments then withdraw to his own account later, or even through his friends bank account (isn't this money laundering anyway??)
I know I'm not doing this out of spite, Ihave a genuine need for his financial input now (I just about managed before), in fact I feel sorry for him, and a bit icky with myself too for wanting to report him, but clearly he can afford to contribute. He even buys things for himself costing hundreds of pounds, yet couldn't even send his daughter a birthday card.
We have no contact. Don't text/email/phone anymore, not for at least a year. Should I ask him if he could contribute a little, or should I email CSA, or benefits fraud?
I actually don't want to strip him of his income, of course they would take him to court for benefit fraud if they investigated him and all sorts, I just don't want that karma, despite all he's done, he's just trying to earn a living I suppose (and buffering himself with benefits he's not entitled to). I just think a small gesture would be so helpful, a new pair of school shoes once a year from him? A card for his children? It feels like I might re-open a can of worms if I pursued this. He'd be furious. He really is one of those men who'd jump out of a hotel window with his kids in his arms just to spite me.
Now Ivewritten this all down, I can see the answer actually. It's not worth it, for the sake of a financial contribution. So actually Iprobaly don't need convincing either way after all having typed it out!