WOULD YOU REPORT A FAMILY MEMBER FOR BENEFIT FRAUD??

[wouldyougrass]

Ive known for a while they collect benefit, they have a baby but live at home with parents, in their late 20s

they always moan about their life, but never get anything together or do anything about the way they live, ever since she was pg theyve been going to the housing to be put on the housing list - the babys 4 months now and they still havent been

they sleep ALL day

im 90% sure they recieve benefits, not sure what but theyve mentioned it in the past

he works 3/4 nights a week - cash in hand, off the books

it never bothered me until one of them rang DH last night and was asking him which high definition flat screen TV to buy, hes got £1,500

they dont own theyre own car, even though he drives - they borrow the mums car to 'work' the 3 nights - and moan they cant afford a car

so why not buy a car with the 1500???

would you?

erm jealousy that they dont have to work obviously...not because i want scruffy kids and to gamble a lot

I agree with Pann, although I still think he's a nob most of the time

Thats your lack of social skills emerging again!! Do try harder. Have you been drinking???

No.Let karma deal with them You don't know what the repercussions could be and you aren't even sure.Living in one room with a small baby sleeping all day doesn't sound much of a life so I wouldn't add to the misery

Ooops! Forgot , to make it all better.

Do love you really!!

Oh, thank heaven

no, and how could you?

it does bring out the worst this kind of thing.
tams77 i agree;
pann you too; corporate greed stinks but always goes pretty much unremarked on (til now)!

No. It's a dirty trick to pull on a member of your own family, FGS. Pretty low down thing full stop unless you have a very clear cut case of someone deliberately defrauding the system to live the life of Riley while having plenty of opportunities to live honestly.

In this case, from the OP, you don't know WHAT benefits, if any, they receive.

You said it yourself, you are jealous because they have some money to spend and you don't. None of your business whether they borrow someone else's car or not, for heaven's sake!

Keep your nose out and save your energy for doing things that benefit your family and the community.

so your jealous of their lifestyle?

no that can't be right.

your jealous that they can buy a tv? yes yes that must be it.

shit lady.

make your own lifechances. they certainly wont have anything of value emotionally phycologically or even financially years from now if your description of them is correct.

if benefits IZ that good yeah, you go on'em

custy

yes, to know of people's individual circs. can be very informative, rather than looking in from the outside and judging harshly.

Greeny - don't wish to argue. Life being too short and sweet and all that.

Interesting to see diff views on this.

My mil lives with a partner but they both claim single pensions. She also claims rent assistance (he owns the home outright) and she claims a carer's allowance to look after him (he is quite unwell). We are in Australia but they are both from UK and also get single UK pensions each month.

So instead of getting around $1600 a month they get $3500 a month. Makes me very .

Can't report my own mil though can I???

Mumfor... I don't dispute that it's hard to raise a child while working, and that a lot of people work v hard to live on the minimum wage. While there are undoubtedly some people who claim what they don't need out of greediness, as I (and someone else) said, most people who are fiddling a bit with their benefit do so out of desperation - and in some cases total confusion about what you are and are not allowed to claim for.

But I also agree with the posters who mention that, if a corporation or merchant banker or whatever uses accountants to "find every available tax loophole" they seem to get away with it or even be admired for their financial skills, whereas the poor sod trying to scrabble an extra tenner a week is vilified as Evil Benefit Cheat. And in the case of the OP's relatives, maybe the sudden sum of money they appear to have is in the form of a gift/legacy/even a bloody Lottery win.

"in some cases total confusion about what you are and are not allowed to claim for".

This is certainly true, the benefits system is a minefield. However, that male marathon runner who was jailed for claiming benefit he was not entitled to (for years as well) continued to claim even when he was fit enough.
He knew full well what he was doing.

A person who calls the benefits helpline will not be told the outcome of any investigation. If benefits cheats aren't stealing money from the "deserving" its alright then to be claiming illegally is it because it's perceived to be a grey area?. Don't think the benefits people themselves though see it as a grey area.

Attila: yes, of course there are a small number of crooks like that bloke. The area of confusion for some people is more like: if you help friends move house and they give you £30 for your time - and this is a one-off, or if you sell your old clothes/dvds on Ebay, or occaisonally look after a friend's DCs and he/she gives you a few quid. Also, there are quite a few part time, unpredictable and very badly paid jobs that people take when they're desperate: you end up not declaring that sort of income because all too often your benefits stop suddenly due to someone having entered the wrong code on the computer and/or you end up worse off than if you'd not done the work at all.
Of course, rules are rules. But with all this indignation against poor people, what about the employers who know they can get away with horrendously low wages by paying cash in hand - whether it's companies, or people not wanting to bother with all the paperwork and expense of paying proper, taxed wages to their cleaners/childminders/gardeners?

custardo..i like you

good post

Message withdrawn

Would I report a family member for benefit fraud? not sure, but I havent been in that situation where i know someone who is. We have been skint and we have had nothing. No home, no money, no car, no jobs, but we didnt resort to benefit fraud.

Do I think benefit fraud is wrong, small or large. Totally.
Please dont get me going.

Does that mean that everyone who works in the Benefit Fraud Office is without sin and therefore it shouldt exist? Is that reason.

we are gonna end up like ddr in this country

live and let

this couple need a quick kick up the bottom but if you reprot them for benefit fraud how will thathelp them?

its none of your business how they spend their money. if they h ave saved that money then its theirs to with as theyw ish.

I am against benefit fraud when it is done by people driving BMW's and playing golf whilst claiming DLA or sickness benefit.

But i compltely understand why a young couple would work an extra few hours in a pub that no doubt brings in less than £100 a week.
Maybe you should write them an anon letter saying you know they are claimibng whilst working and you are going to report them. it may spur them on to get off beneifts and work.