Would you report someone you knew for benefit fraud?

MothballsWallet

WeeBabyDoll wrote: »

I am genuinly shocked....I would NEVER dream of reporting anyone. IOkay so what they are doing is morally wrong...but try talking to them about it first before you go and possibly destroy a family.Those poor kids, they will miss their mum when she is in prison. If she doesnt go to prison then those poor kids are going to have nothing anyway - because she will be paying a HUGE fine.

What was that phrase my elders always told me? Oh yes:

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

It's as true now as it was back then.

DaisyFlower

dmg24 wrote: »

Yep, I would report. However I wouldn't be doing it because they get more than me, I would do it because we all have an obligation to report crime.

Agree, its theft and needs to be reported.

There's also the fact that we pay enough in taxes without any being stolen.

pimento

Benefit fraud costs the UK £900m a year (government's own figures)

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/BenefitFraud/DG_10014876

The war in Afghanistan and Iraq costs £4.5bn

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/13/afghanistan-iraq-bill-british-military

Tx avoidance (that's the legal bit, not counting tax evasion which is the illegal bit) is 15 times the cost of benefit fraud at £30bn.

http://citywire.co.uk/new-model-adviser/tax-evasion-costs-treasury-15-times-more-than-benefit-fraud/a378274

The government have us all snooping on our neighbours when we should be acknowledging how hard it is to exist on benefits and start looking at where the real big money is going.

angelil

^^ it hardly helps to talk in relative rather than absolute terms.

£900M IS STILL A LOT OF MONEY NO MATTER HOW YOU DRESS IT UP. THINK ABOUT HOW THAT £900M COULD BE BETTER SPENT TO HELP THE UK.

biscit

pimento wrote: »

Benefit fraud costs the UK £900m a year (government's own figures)

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/BenefitFraud/DG_10014876

The war in Afghanistan and Iraq costs £4.5bn

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/13/afghanistan-iraq-bill-british-military

Tx avoidance (that's the legal bit, not counting tax evasion which is the illegal bit) is 15 times the cost of benefit fraud at £30bn.

http://citywire.co.uk/new-model-adviser/tax-evasion-costs-treasury-15-times-more-than-benefit-fraud/a378274

The government have us all snooping on our neighbours when we should be acknowledging how hard it is to exist on benefits and start looking at where the real big money is going.

I agree with the perspective, benefit fraud is a tiny problem in the scheme of things. I think the government is using fraud figures to demonise genuine claimants, and justify benefits cuts and draconian policing measures. The scale of the problem needs to be acknowledged.

A sense of perspective is always good.

The vast majority of money spent on benefits goes to people who need it.

But that doesn't change the fact that people taking the mick, while small-fry, have done wrong.

DCFC79

If you entirely sure the person in questioned is claiming benefits they shouldnt then yes report them,

uk-tyler

biscit wrote: »

I agree with the perspective, benefit fraud is a tiny problem in the scheme of things. I think the government is using fraud figures to demonise genuine claimants, and justify benefits cuts and draconian policing measures. The scale of the problem needs to be acknowledged.

A sense of perspective is always good.

The vast majority of money spent on benefits goes to people who need it.

But that doesn't change the fact that people taking the mick, while small-fry, have done wrong.

I think the fraudulent claimants do more to demonise the people in genuine need than the government do. After all the majority of people here pay tax and are happy that our money goes to those in need.

Personally I'm not happy when my money goes to someone that "needs" a new 50" TV.

xangeleyes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10922261

I CANNOT understand why some people are saying NO to reporting it!?
It is fraud! It is theft.
It doesn't even matter if there is some kind of bitterness between the two, this is compleatly wrong.
Even if the benefit fraud team was to just send a letter saying that they were investigating it, it would hopefully make her realise what she's been doing is wrong.
If they've already moved in with each other then she's made a big commitment and there shouldn't be any worry about if he was to move out and leave her. If he did move out once she cancelled the claim, then all she has to do is re-new it.

Sounds like this boyfriend has it nice. He's living with someone and doesn't have to pay rent and council tax! Perhaps this is his idea?

What she/they are doing is wrong!
Benefit fraud on it's own costs £1billion (as of Aug 2010). £460m a year for Working and Child Tax Credits (although lets face it, the Tax Credit System isn't entirely reliable and accurate). Anyway, this £1.5Billion could pay 40,000 NHS nurses!
These numbers also include errors and waste aswell as fraud.

Report it. You will not look bad, you will only look bad for not reporting it.

clivejohnson

would you report a burglar breaking in to someone's home? Yes? Then why not Benefit fraud??

liney

DCFC79 wrote: »

If you entirely sure the person in questioned is claiming benefits they shouldnt then yes report them,

Being entirely sure is not necessary, having reasonable cause is. It's the Benefits Agency's job to investigate, and if the claim is legit then there won't be a problem.