Ratting on benefit cheats

krisskross

Flyboy152 wrote: »

I am using the word "sanctioned" in its true meaning, not the way the DWP use it.

And the true meaning is?

i have reported my neighbour for DLA fraud. I gave my full name, address and phone number in the letter. Are you suggesting I will be punished in some way IF his claim is found to be genuine? BTW said neighbour is complaining about being 'grassed up', which to me suggests guilt and is telling people he knows he was reported for the £500 reward!

vouchersrme

After 40+ years of paying taxes, I feel that anyone defrauding the benefit system is a thief, stealing my money and the money of those who deserve support. You wouldn't let someone walk into your house and walk off with your purse with out making a report, a thief is a thief is a thief!
If there has been a malicious report the truth will out. Report them.

Flyboy152

krisskross wrote: »

And the true meaning is?

Look it up. :wall:

i have reported my neighbour for DLA fraud. I gave my full name, address and phone number in the letter. Are you suggesting I will be punished in some way IF his claim is found to be genuine? BTW said neighbour is complaining about being 'grassed up', which to me suggests guilt and is telling people he knows he was reported for the £500 reward!

If you have made a malicious accusation, that is your look out.

viktory

Flyboy152 wrote: »

I am using the word "sanctioned" in its true meaning, not the way the DWP use it.

To clarify, are you suggesting people should be disciplined or penalised for reporting benefit fraud, if it not found to be true?

Flyboy152

viktory wrote: »

To clarify, are you suggesting people should be disciplined or penalised for reporting benefit fraud, if it not found to be true?

If it is proven to be have been done so maliciously, yes. Apart from the enormous cost involved, the cost and damage to the one who is being accused is tremndous.

viktory

Flyboy152 wrote: »

If it is proven to be have been done so maliciously, yes. Apart from the enormous cost involved, the cost and damage to the one who is being accused is tremndous.

So how do you prove a report was malicious? If a person says, I honestly believe that this person was claiming X, Y, or Z frauduently, how do you prove otherwise?

Surely it is more important that everyone take some responsibility for stamping out benefit fraud and see it as their civil duty to report suspected benefit fraud (which is all it ever is at the reporting stage). If people thought that their report was going to cause them to be sanctioned no one would dare report it. Benefit fraud would become rife as the cheats would have nothing to fear. If people are claming honestly, then they should accept that occasionally checks will need to be done and should welcome them.

moonbeam2007 wrote: »

very few people have the FULL facts.

No, they don't. They have suspicion and doubt, which is why it is reported so that the investigators can ascertain the FACTS.

Flyboy152 wrote: »

If you have made a malicious accusation, that is your look out.

Where, in KK's post, did it say that the report she made was malicious?

menollyke

I understand you need to be carefull when reporting someone, cause if you accuse them falsely it can cause a lot of stress on the other side.

However if someone you know, inhereted a lot of money from their parents, don't cash the cheque but let someone else cash it for them, keep the money in a seperate account not in their name and spend it all on luxery's they aren't able to afford on their benefits (big tv, new game consoles, expensive clothing to name a few) They have told everyone who than told everyone else, however no one is reporting them.

I don't have all the info they want like address and such, but if I had I would not wait to report them. They clearly trying to find a way of avoiding to have to declare it, so in my opinion they should be reported.

If you know someone is boasting about scamming the system, if you do know the facts you should not feel quilty one moment of reporting people. Even if it turns out they weren't claiming anything wrong. I hate to think that people do it to spite each other though, cause that is not fair.

The_mangler

But people dont see the damage that can be done to people wrongly accused. I live in a small village, rumours are rife and my children have been told I have been arrested by the police! My eldest has been the subject of a hate campaign on facebook calling us benefit cheats, and this is just the social side - as I explained previously my husband is now twice as ill and is needing more care, more money to be spent on him due to this unfounded allegation.
Why not begin by sorting out the mistakes made by staff at DWP, the money lost there is 3 times as much as that claimed fraudulently.

viktory

The_mangler wrote: »

But people dont see the damage that can be done to people wrongly accused. I live in a small village, rumours are rife and my children have been told I have been arrested by the police! My eldest has been the subject of a hate campaign on facebook calling us benefit cheats, and this is just the social side - as I explained previously my husband is now twice as ill and is needing more care, more money to be spent on him due to this unfounded allegation.
Why not begin by sorting out the mistakes made by staff at DWP, the money lost there is 3 times as much as that claimed fraudulently.

You have clearly had a horrible time of it since you were (falsely) reported, but that is a separate issue. You need to be reporting any bullying to the necessary authorities. Perhaps cancel your child's Facebook account so s/he doesn't to read nasty comments. I am sorry your husband has been ill over this - but that is the fault of the people that made the report - not the DWP who investigated it. Of course, if you can prove any breach of confidentiality on their part, then you should lodge a formal complaint - but I suspect it is the person that reported you that is spreading horrible gossip.

However, while I obviously do not approve at all of malicious reports, it is ludicrous to suggest that people should be sanctioned for making an unfounded report or should stop making these reports. The DWP cannot beat benefit faud alone and we will have a duty to responsibly report any suspected fraud.

The_mangler

you never commented on the mistakes made by DWP staff - if that was stopped it would save 3/4 of the money!