Help! (I bent the rules in desperation)

ikx

Personally, I don't think you should own up

Hey, samspam. I know that I may never be caught - the thing is that this is about me, and how I want to live my life. The uncertainty of waiting for that letter through the door will not put me in a good place. I would much rather be on much more certain, secure ground.

ikx

You have the answers to your original post, and only you can decide what is the correct direction.

Yes, PP. I didn't mean to be sarcastic. Goose-gander. Thanks everybody.

Scarlett1

ikx wrote:

Hey, samspam. I know that I may never be caught - the thing is that this is about me, and how I want to live my life. The uncertainty of waiting for that letter through the door will not put me in a good place. I would much rather be on much more certain, secure ground.

I agree, and you will probably let out a sigh of relief when you put the phone down after speaking to the DSS, good luck and let us know how you get on

PabloNeruda

Jeez, never seen so much sanctimony in one thread. Good luck, ikx.

spacedmonkey

Hi,

I've not read through the whole thread so don't know if someone else has said this. Not sure about your Jobseekers but for Housing Benefit our matching system has only started to look at Tax Credits recently, it has been pulling matches when benefits stopped more than a year ago. Also the next National Fraud Initiative match occurs in about 4 months, this will almost definitely pull up your case. The last match we had a lady in hysterics who stopped claiming 2 years prior, she thought it was all over and we had made a mistake when we called her in as she wasn't getting benefit anymore.

You can either risk you won't get caught and leave it, spending up to two years, or even longer as they may run matches further back if they prove fruitful, waiting for that letter inviting you to an interview under caution and possible prosecution. Or you can own up, you may be cautioned and interviewed formally but to date the Jobcentre have never prosecuted anyone who admitted the crime by choice without being invited for an interview. And it is a crime, your circumtances may mitigate it but it was your choice.

The decision is yours and no-one elses.

trickytrolleys

To all the people who think only employed people pay tax, could you let me know which tills at shops are the ones that take the tax off of shopping - so far i've failed to locate them!!!!!!!!!

Scarlett1

mcelhinney wrote:

To all the people who think only employed people pay tax, could you let me know which tills at shops are the ones that take the tax off of shopping - so far i've failed to locate them!!!!!!!!!

I always notice the bit at the bottom of till receipts, 2% tax or whatever

missk_ensington

Don't see why this is such a big issue, its no worse than claiming DLA fraudulanetly, or working for cash when on benefits, or living with your partner and claiming Income Support living alone.... Everyone is at it in one way or another, and it all comes from the same pot.

I'm not condoning fraud- absolutely not- but it is a fact we have to accept and everyone I know is doing SOMETHING illegitimate, even if its something as trivial as being on Income Support and working behind a bar a few nights over Christmas, or receiving Child Support from ther father whilst on Income Support and not telling anyone (mostv of my friends get £25-30 a week cash in their hand off the fathers and have told I.S they dont know who father is as theyre not on birth cert)

I say again, I am NOT NOT NOT condoning this, but it happens, and I think its SLIGHTLY more excusable when someone does it out of desperation rather than just greed!

singlehouseholder

It is interesting that some do find it acceptable and some find in inexcusable, what makes us think either way is down to maybe upbringing, personal experience, morality? At the end of the day whether its £100 or £1000 it is Fraud, if everyone thought it was ok to commit fraud of only a few quid just think khow quickly that money would mount up. Sadly the more cash that is lost on Fraud means resources suffer elsewhere in the system. There are budgets. For example advisors in the Jobcentres have budgets when it comes to allocating funds to help individuals into employment, once the pots gone, thats it. Where does the money come from for the welfare state? Those that are contributing are funding the welfare state. I can understand how people get angry when the system is abused, I have been on both sides off the counter and can sympathise, it can make you suicidal (or at the very least self-harm!) What would be classed as desperation? One person's desperation could be anothers way of life, you manage on what you've got, or try to better your situation.
If you feel that you should fess up, then thats fine, if you don't thats fine too, we can all have our own opinions but we cannot force them upon others. Seems to me that;
tell them voluntarily, get it paid out of the way.
wait for them to catch you, pay the full amount back, risk a fine and risk prosecution.
The choice really is down to you, regardless of what others think, only you are standing in your shoes.
Good luck.

Broken_hearted

missk_ensington wrote:

Don't see why this is such a big issue, its no worse than claiming DLA fraudulanetly

What the hell. Its ok to take money away from disabled people now no wonder the system is such a mess. A lot of disabled people on DLA work legitimatly and use it to have cars or homes adapted. It's bloody hard to get. People who claim it fraudulantly are beneath contempt. How would they like it if the were run over or somwething similar and lost the use of their legs, then couldn't get any help because of all the low lifes out their.