Didn't know about 'Help with Childcare Costs' ?!

daska

I've just discovered that someone I know has been employing a lone parent cash-in-hand because they claimed that they wouldn't be able to afford childcare if they were 'on the books'. The employee has been a lone parent for about 6 years so, in theory, should have had several interviews with the JC+. The employer I can well believe didn't know of this as childless, no nieces/nephews etc. but she won't believe that the employee would have been told about this. Leaving aside the tirades against benefit/NI theft etc. (I have had words!), how likely is it that this employee didn't know she could claim childcare costs?

Oldernotwiser

Exceedingly unlikely, your friend has been abetting benefit fraud.

daska

Has been, but won't be any more, now that I've provided details of the childcare help. Mind you, might be immaterial as I have a feeling the woman will be moving on.

Oldernotwiser

But she was still prepared to pervert the tax and NI system.

daska

And every friend of a friend of yours behaves with the utmost probity at all times? Perhaps you should question all your friends and discard those that don't vet their friends as closely as you do?

The only reason I'm involved is that a close friend of mine knew that there had been immense pressure put on the employer to do this.

Jowo_2

Because there are more than 50 benefits, allowances and credits in this ludicrously complex benefit system, many with complex inter-relationships, and because millions, if not billions, of benefits go uncollected every year by people who don't know about their entitlement or are put off by the long-winded bureaucracy of the application process.

Oldernotwiser

daska wrote: »

And every friend of a friend of yours behaves with the utmost probity at all times? Perhaps you should question all your friends and discard those that don't vet their friends as closely as you do?

The only reason I'm involved is that a close friend of mine knew that there had been immense pressure put on the employer to do this.

My point was simply that even if what the employee told your friend had been true, she shouldn't have paid this woman cash in hand, thus saving herself overheads and leaving the "employee" uninsured in case of an accident and losing out on her state pension provision.

And by the way, your op said nothing about a friend of a friend, you said "someone I know has been employing a lone parent cash-in-hand".

daska

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

My point was simply that even if what the employee told your friend had been true, she shouldn't have paid this woman cash in hand, thus saving herself overheads and leaving the "employee" uninsured in case of an accident and losing out on her state pension provision.

And by the way, your op said nothing about a friend of a friend, you said "someone I know has been employing a lone parent cash-in-hand".

'And by the way'
a. I very specifically didn't label the person a friend because they are not, it was your decision to upgrade them to a friend, and

b. I do not defend people who commit benefit fraud and in my original post I deliberately tried to avoid cluttering up this thread with unnecessary statements about it being theft:

daska wrote: »

Leaving aside the tirades against benefit/NI theft etc. (I have had words!), how likely is it that this employee didn't know she could claim childcare costs?

I knew there were good reasons why I'd stopped visiting these boards, and you are one of them, because you just can't stop yourself from demanding inconsequential or irrelevant information or polishing your halo in front of everyone, very unpleasant. I'm off again,