Claiming Benefits but not at address

Hiddenidenity

Killmark wrote: »

She's unhappy because she have noticed something potentially fraudulent.

I'm surprised at the attacks made at the OP, don't we all have a social responsibility?

If you thought you saw someone you know mugging a pensioner would you report your suspicions to the authorities and leave them to investigate, or wouldn't you bother because you weren't 100% sure?

I wouldnt report anyone for fraud unless i was 100% sure. Do you know how much stress it can cause to the adults and the children while their investigated and made to look like a lier. When in the end they are inccocent. Would you like a curtain twitcher to report you?

No one knows what goes on in peoples lifes behind the closed doors, nosry curtain twitchers make a story in their head work themselfs up to believe it and cause a lot of hassle for the family they are falsely accusing and the time and effort the fraud prevention people put into it.

Killmark

Hiddenidenity wrote: »

I wouldnt report anyone for fraud unless i was 100% sure. Do you know how much stress it can cause to the adults and the children while their investigated and made to look like a lier. When in the end they are inccocent. Would you like a curtain twitcher to report you?

No one knows what goes on in peoples lifes behind the closed doors, nosry curtain twitchers make a story in their head work themselfs up to believe it and cause a lot of hassle for the family they are falsely accusing and the time and effort the fraud prevention people put into it.

When someone commits benefit fraud they are effectively stealing from everyone.

As for the stress it causes, well if you have nothing to hide then the stress should be limited.

As for the term "curtain twitcher", personally I find that offensive, the OP is accepting benefits but at the same time has taken action when they feel fraud maybe being committed.

People want rights and entitlements but as soon as someone suggests they have responsibilities to society they are attacked for it.

Also when people get accused of fraud organizations like the DWP don't just stop their benefits, they use the evidence and refer either to the fraud team if they have hard evidence, if not it goes to a compliance team.

People get sent a letter to attend a compliance interview, it gives them all the information on what they need to bring, if they fail to attend they get auto rebooked and a second opportunity to attend. If they fail to attend that or don't rebook with good cause before the interview then their benefits get stopped until they attend their compliance interview.

Its hardly a case of their benefits just getting randomly stopped because of a report.

We have a system whereby a case has to be proven, people are given every opportunity to explain or show their innocence. However a system of justice can not operate unless people are willing to step up.

Hiddenidenity

So having your money stopped when your innocent will cause little stress? When thats the only income you have to feed your family? Of course thats only little :cool:

As for "calling" the op I wasn't refering to the op actually I was replying to a previous reply if you would have read all the replies you would have noticed :cool:

jojo_2012_2

I recently reported to barking and dagenham council (not my council) that a certain someone was illegaly (?) subletting his brother's council flat, while the brother was off living with his girlfriend and child full time.

I was surprised to hear that they were going to look in to it and "inform me of the outcome". I wouldn't have expected them to keep me in the loop and don't think it's right at all, however I'm a nosey cow and look forward to seeing what goes down.

skintandscared_2

Hiddenidenity wrote: »

I wouldnt report anyone for fraud unless i was 100% sure. Do you know how much stress it can cause to the adults and the children while their investigated and made to look like a lier. When in the end they are inccocent. Would you like a curtain twitcher to report you?

No one knows what goes on in peoples lifes behind the closed doors, nosry curtain twitchers make a story in their head work themselfs up to believe it and cause a lot of hassle for the family they are falsely accusing and the time and effort the fraud prevention people put into it.

And what about all the physically and mentally vulnerable people who are having their benefits threatened/slashed because there is just not enough money to go around? Benefits should be there for those who NEED it, not those who can scrounge what they want because they know how to work the system. There has to be some way to weed out the cheats.

chigley

Hiddenidenity wrote: »

So having your money stopped when your innocent will cause little stress? When thats the only income you have to feed your family? Of course thats only little :cool:

Your payments would not be stopped! If someone is reported for committing fraud, the case will be investigated before any payments are stopped - it won't happen just because someone reports something that they are suspicious of - please stop scaremongering.

ZARA

grassssssssssss

ikati5

ZARA wrote: »

grassssssssssss

Well said.. I couldn't agree more!

stephief

You have done your bit, I would leave alone now.

I find it a bit suprising that the council would divulge as much information as they apparantly have to you, I am sure this is covered by some law or another so wouldnt take as gospel anything they are telling you.

You dont know the reasons for her not being there. They could be legitimate. My husband (before we were married) lived 30 miles away from us. He is disabled, he had no support network where he was and so he stayed with us more than at his own place. All relevent people knew the situation, all said it was fine, didnt stop some interfering busy bodies with nothing better to do constantly ringing the council housing office and the dwp accusing him of benefit fraud and not living at his home. The people making the calls (we know who they are!) were told it was being dealt with, when in reality no further action was needed by any of the agencies involved, they just let it be. He gave up the property as soon as he was allowed to and we moved in together but due to his disabilities he wasnt allowed to live with us before this, but needed us to look after him, its was a stupid situation.

Of course people should speak up when they think someone is cheating the system, but you have dont that. What the council do with that information is up to them.