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Original poster

Has anyone ever been reported for working on the side?

42 replies

LucySer · 07/01/2024 20:53

I'm a single mother, few kids and work in a bar at the weekend. Has someone associated with my ex-husband in and for a second I thought did he take a sneaky pic of me there. Forgot about it and Friday there got a letter asking me in to the benefits office for a meeting and could be facing possible penalties etc. The letter does mention evidence and am wondering if I can deny it because they may pull out a picture if that's that lad was doing showing me behind the bar working.

Has anyone any experience of this? If they have actual proof will they produce it? Because I'm sure they will now the more I think of it. Bad enough he fiddled his wages I get £14 for 3 kids, now I think he's trying to punish me in some sick way that will only hurt the kids too!

OP posts:
Wolfpa · 07/01/2024 21:00

So you are claiming benefits and not letting them know about your earnings?

Tell them that your circumstances have changed and you have found some work.

you may get asked to repay some benefits but that is better than being convicted of fraud

NotTooOldPaul · 07/01/2024 21:05

Wolfpa · 07/01/2024 21:00

So you are claiming benefits and not letting them know about your earnings?

Tell them that your circumstances have changed and you have found some work.

you may get asked to repay some benefits but that is better than being convicted of fraud

I agree with this. Be upfront. Better to get a few pounds less than loose it all.
I was signing on years ago and told them I had a job for a few hours a week, they said it was fine and reduced my benefit a bit.

Kimmeridge · 07/01/2024 21:05

The letter does mention evidence and am wondering if I can deny it because they may pull out a picture if that's that lad was doing showing me behind the bar working

Ffs don't make it worse by lying. You're cheating the system. Looks like you've been caught. At least be honest now

Bad enough he fiddled his wages

Like you're fiddling the benefits - oh the irony.

Lovemusic82 · 07/01/2024 21:11

Don’t lie, if they have evidence then you won’t have a leg to stand on. Just come clean and lay back what you owe.

Pretty sure most people are sensible and declare their earning, especially when they are working a job where people are likely to see them. You’re taking a huge risk working in a pub/bar and hoping no one notices. Are you getting paid cash? If so your employer could likely get in trouble too.

ladykale · 07/01/2024 21:12

Ughhh the U.K... where the rich don't pay tax, where the poor don't pay tax... and where only the squeezed middle work their ass of their whole life, only to pay for everyone else and then have to sell their house they worked their whole life for to pay for their own care in old age.

The U.K. dream.

Original poster
LucySer · 07/01/2024 21:12

Easy to judge, with the way my bills have gone up being a single parent with nearly zero help from their so-called dad, it's nearly impossible to survive. Just wanted to ask if he took a picture of me if they were liable to produce it is all. Not here to be judged.

OP posts:
Deathbyathousandcats · 07/01/2024 21:13

ladykale · 07/01/2024 21:12

Ughhh the U.K... where the rich don't pay tax, where the poor don't pay tax... and where only the squeezed middle work their ass of their whole life, only to pay for everyone else and then have to sell their house they worked their whole life for to pay for their own care in old age.

The U.K. dream.

Not heard of VAT then? Or do you just prefer circulating nonsense.

Lovemusic82 · 07/01/2024 21:15

LucySer · 07/01/2024 21:12

Easy to judge, with the way my bills have gone up being a single parent with nearly zero help from their so-called dad, it's nearly impossible to survive. Just wanted to ask if he took a picture of me if they were liable to produce it is all. Not here to be judged.

I am a single parent also, I don’t fiddle my benefits. Yes I’m skint, yes I’m sat in a cold house because I can’t afford to have the heating in for more than 2 hours a day, but i don’t lie about my earnings.

Take the advice you have been given. Declare you have found a job and if you owe money you can talk to the benefits debt people and pay back what ever a week until it’s paid back. It’s better than getting done for benefit fraud.

Kimmeridge · 07/01/2024 21:18

Just wanted to ask if he took a picture of me if they were liable to produce it is all

Ofcourse they will. They may ask you first if you've been working & see if you come clean.

Wheresthefibre · 07/01/2024 21:23

To be fair it doesn’t really matter how you got caught.

You shouldn’t be doing it and you are. You know you shouldn’t, but you took the risk.

Do they know you work at all?

Have you let whoever is paying you know? I assume it’s cash in hand? The bar could also be investigated.

NotSuchASmugMarriedAnymore · 07/01/2024 21:34

LucySer · 07/01/2024 21:12

Easy to judge, with the way my bills have gone up being a single parent with nearly zero help from their so-called dad, it's nearly impossible to survive. Just wanted to ask if he took a picture of me if they were liable to produce it is all. Not here to be judged.

They are not liable to produce the picture no. They can produce it or not produce it, it's up to them.

Do what a PP said, ring them and tell them you've started a job.

ForTheLoveOfSleep · 07/01/2024 21:41

If they suspect you of benefit fraud they may notify you that they are interviewing you under caution when you arrive for your appointment. It's best to tell the truth.

SquashGnocci · 07/01/2024 21:43

You might find yourself a bit better off declaring a few hours work, you only lose so many pence per pound off benefits so you definitely wont be worse off!

hellojelly · 07/01/2024 22:11

I'm not entirely sure why you think the evidence would be a photo someone's taken, unless you're working cash in hand and the business aren't declaring it then they'll report your wages every month to HMRC via the payroll. My first thought would be that they've got payroll data.

fitnessmummy · 07/01/2024 22:43

Maybe you were volunteering in the hopes of training for a future job?

ladykale · 07/01/2024 22:57

@Deathbyathousandcats everyone pays VAT so your comment makes no sense

ladykale · 07/01/2024 23:09

Also my comment wasn't even to judge OP! The U.K. makes no sense, working a bit shouldnt result in OP losing the likely small benefit she does get, as she should be incentivised to work where she can. But where the incentivise if she's now worried it will be used against her.

Anyway, men fiddle numbers to avoid child support.

People aren't incentivised to work where they can as their small benefits will be stripped away.

Makes no sense someone like OP should be penalised due to working some hours at the weekend, with 3 kids and I bet pennies as child support

Invisimamma · 07/01/2024 23:20

LucySer · 07/01/2024 21:12

Easy to judge, with the way my bills have gone up being a single parent with nearly zero help from their so-called dad, it's nearly impossible to survive. Just wanted to ask if he took a picture of me if they were liable to produce it is all. Not here to be judged.

I feel for your situation OP I really do it must be hard but there are absolutely thousands of people in your situation who pay tax, declare their income and don't fraud the system. Honest people just trying to get by.

Just be honest at the interview, it'll be easier in the long run.

Lovemusic82 · 08/01/2024 10:07

SquashGnocci · 07/01/2024 21:43

You might find yourself a bit better off declaring a few hours work, you only lose so many pence per pound off benefits so you definitely wont be worse off!

Sadly this isn’t true and OP maybe worse off for working. The benefits system is a mess and makes no sense, it depends what benefits she’s claiming. I am in a situation where if I work part time earning over £139 a week I am worse off than not working at all, but because I have disabled teen to care for I can’t work full time. The only way I would be better off is to work 40+ hours a week which I can’t do unless someone cares for dd. The only way I can be better off is to earn under £139 and then I’m only around £20 a week better off than if I didn’t work at all.

I can see why OP didn’t want to declare it but sadly it’s pretty impossible to get away with it these days. When I was a child it was pretty normal for people to work for cash in hand and not declare it, I remember family members doing exactly that but these days a business could get in a lot of trouble for paying cash in hand.

OP, depending how long you have been working you may be able to say you started in the last month? Obviously if they have been paying money into your bank and have been going through HMRC the evidence is in your bank account and with HMRC so you have no choice but to come clean and pay back anything you owe.

istoodonlegoagain · 08/01/2024 10:23

Did the letter say interview under caution or just a review? If it's IUC it's much more likely they have solid evidence as they have already investigated (and this wouldn't happen within one week, and they do the investigation/evidence collecting). If it's a compliance interview they have received a tip off and want to establish facts,but most likely don't have full evidence.
I got a letter a few years back saying they needed to do a telephone call to check benefits etc and there was a warning on it to say I need to report any change of circumstances. I thought nothing of it, I'd had no change, but it turned out that they'd received 'information' that I had been a student and was receiving student finance and hadn't declared it. I had been a very part time post grad student, and had declared it (I needed to get DWP signature to prove I was on benefits) but hadn't declared I was applying for loan as I only applied for fees and not maintenance. Anyway it was fine in the end, it was established that I didn't get maintenance loan and I didn't know you had to declare fees loan.

istoodonlegoagain · 08/01/2024 10:31

IME someone like OP would be better off by declaring it (you wouldn't gain money, but wouldn't lose either) as long as it was under 16 hours per week, she'd even get childcare paid. It is carers who are required to care full time (rather than the 30 hours per week minimum) that are completely buggered.

Willmafrockfit · 08/01/2024 10:36

do you have a child minder?
how long have you worked there
i presume this is cash in hand?

Catsknowbest · 08/01/2024 10:38

LucySer · 07/01/2024 21:12

Easy to judge, with the way my bills have gone up being a single parent with nearly zero help from their so-called dad, it's nearly impossible to survive. Just wanted to ask if he took a picture of me if they were liable to produce it is all. Not here to be judged.

Yes they may use this for evidence

Willmafrockfit · 08/01/2024 10:38

dd had her universal credits stopped due to hmrc
so if you are working cash in hand you can get away with it,
otoh you are surely allowed a small amount of hours,
honesty is best

DesuOwl · 08/01/2024 10:42

You won't be arrested/sent to prison or anything!

You'll likely get a slap on the wrist and a fine, or required to pay back and benefit that was received that would not have been had the extra pay been declared.