Should I inform the DWP that my bf's ex is working whilst claiming benefits?

sfm82

I was repeatedly reported for council tax fraud last when I was a student my two then flatmates were too so we didn't pay council tax, my boyfriend stayed over on weekends but he didnt live here so someone thought that a) there were four people living in a flat only meant for three unrelated people and that b) we were avoiding council tax. Really surprises me that my neighbours who did not know me nor take the time to know me felt 'compelled' to report me numerous times for fraud that was not going on!!!

Waste of peoples time if you dont know the full story.

MamTor13

sfm82 wrote: »

I was repeatedly reported for council tax fraud last when I was a student my two then flatmates were too so we didn't pay council tax, my boyfriend stayed over on weekends but he didnt live here so someone thought that a) there were four people living in a flat only meant for three unrelated people and that b) we were avoiding council tax. Really surprises me that my neighbours who did not know me nor take the time to know me felt 'compelled' to report me numerous times for fraud that was not going on!!!

Waste of peoples time if you dont know the full story.

This is what I find amazing, people able to report with no facts and no ability for redress for the victim. If you were repeatedly reported for fraud in any other area, work for example, on no grounds whatsoever the informer would eventually be up on some sort of harassment charge from both an employment and a criminal point of view. It's a silly thing when people say “well, if you've done nothing wrong you have nothing to worry about”. Imagine being called in for a disciplinary every month and worrying if your wages were about to stop as you got the sack. I remember when I worked in a residential setting and the kids were always reporting staff for abuse, you were instantly suspended while the complaint was dealt with. It was awful, you had to attend meetings, get witness reports, were no allowed contact with colleagues, all the time you knew you hadn't done anything but that doesn't somehow eradicate the terrible stress it caused. The kids thought it was funny, but the other important issue is that it caused so much work that a genuine complaint could have been lost and valuable resources were being pee'd up the wall. Not to mention the good staff who just left because of it. Yes, it does cause terrible stress to the innocent, if you don't have hard facts don't do it, even if you do I wouldn't, but that's up to you. The fact that you can do this with no fear of your identity being revealed or known even to the LA or DWP is what encourages loads of calls against innocent people. How much tax payers money is being spent on purely malicious calls based on assumption and nothing more? The DWP and LA have no way of identifying the calls made on a whim and has no way of telling these sort of people to stop their antics or report back that they were completely wrong.


I think if you call the DWP or LA should be able to take or know your identity, not the victim, as I can see that this could problems. The DWP or LA could then identify which people phone numerous times with no evidence or constantly about he same person and then use their judgement and limited budgets more effectively.

sfm82

MamTor13 wrote: »

I think if you call the DWP or LA should be able to take or know your identity, not the victim, as I can see that this could problems. The DWP or LA could then identify which people phone numerous times with no evidence or constantly about he same person and then use their judgement and limited budgets more effectively.

True that! I have no idea why we were constantly being reported, we weren't typical students having loud parties all the time and we never caused a nuisance...just people with nothing better to do than complain I guess

liam8282

Report them anonymously online.

An investigation will be done into that the person and also the business paying "cash in hand".

leveller2911

liam8282 wrote: »

Report them anonymously online.

An investigation will be done into that the person and also the business paying "cash in hand".

Well Ive filled out online forms to "shop" someone for working and claiming as a single parent , TWICE in 12 months with all the facts, dates,times,vehicles etc and to this day NOTHING has happend.

Before I "shopped" them they had a home visit from the benefits agency , they phoned first of coarse to let them know when they would "pop" round for a chat, gave them plenty of time to move the BMW car, 750 cc motorbike , boyfriends clothes etc.................

IT WAS A JOKE.........sad too as the scroungers are taking funds that could be put to use and helping the ones who really need it...........

Don't bank on ANY investigation going on.....:rolleyes:

Jowo_2

MamTor13 wrote: »

This is what I find amazing, people able to report with no facts and no ability for redress for the victim. ... The fact that you can do this with no fear of your identity being revealed or known even to the LA or DWP is what encourages loads of calls against innocent people.
.

You make a good point.

I think the best way to ensure quality data and encourage those making the report to identify themselves is to offer a reward if it leads to the saving of taxpayers money or a prosecution, like the rewards set up to stop crime. Some countries pay rewards for successful calls to their tax fraud hotlines.

But you've got to admit, the Benefits fraud hotline is a great deterrent just by existing, let alone the tens of thousands of successful investigations its led to.