workmate scamming the system

Jim1967

Im in a bit of a pickle to the point i have registered here, my workmate and his partner have 4 kids and they have rung the benefit people up and made out they have split up, so she is getting tax credits etc, they are still living together and nothing has changed. If i reported them would it be a hard process and would he find out about what i have done?
I normally wouldnt care less but he is bragging about it to people.
what are the chances of them getting caught out by the tax credit people without anyone reporting them?

Thankyou

leveller2911

Jim1967 wrote: »

Im in a bit of a pickle to the point i have registered here, my workmate and his partner have 4 kids and they have rung the benefit people up and made out they have split up, so she is getting tax credits etc, they are still living together and nothing has changed. If i reported them would it be a hard process and would he find out about what i have done?
I normally wouldnt care less but he is bragging about it to people.
what are the chances of them getting caught out by the tax credit people without anyone reporting them?

Thankyou

Chances of them getting caught are about 10% so 90% chance of getting away with it.

I have a friend who works in the benefits department for an area of over 25,000 people and they have 4 benefit fraud investigators (of which 1 is on long term sick leave).

I've reported a couple for claiming she is a single parent and living alone whilst claiming as a couple.They have done this for 8 years.I filled out the online form 4 times with plenty of information re working hours,car registrations etc etc and always get an automated response back say thankyou etc and we will be in touch if they need further information.They have never got back to me.The benefits office did contact them once to arrange a home visit.The day of the visit he moved his belongings out and she was interviewed ,he then moved back in the same day and no action taken.

The stepfather of the woman has reported them via telephone and still it goes in.We have worked out they have a net income (earnings£18k & £11k,tax credits,child tax credits,housing benefit ) of over £40k a year. As I say its gone of for 8 years so in answer to your question benefit cheats prosper.

Mrs_Arcanum

The irony of paying millions to Atos whilst genuine fraud goes unpunished

McKneff

If he's bragging about it, it wont be long before some one does shop them, and it probably wont just be tax credits either, it'll be housing benefit, council tax benefit etc, etc. etc.

Or just ring up the DWP and shop them anonymously.

I would shop them in a heartbeat to be honest.

tomtom256

Report them, it will get looked at if there is something in it.

Most areas have several fraud teams with between 6 - 10 fraud officers per team. That does not include local authorities who tend to have 1 - 2 investigators that do a similar job and have the same powers.

I do not know of any DWP team that covers 25,000 people with just 4 investigators it is just not feasible or are you saying they have had 25,000 referrals?

I work with at least 3 different teams in my role covering my council's area alone and that can be upto about 18 different officers across the 3 teams. This does not cover the compliance officers who look at the lower end of fraud were criminal action is not going to be likely.

If your happy with your work mate to scam the system then say nothing, but don't moan about it.

Its a case of put up or shut up. If no one knows about it nothing can get done.

londonTiger

you have nothing to lose, they will not divulge the person who kleft the tip off. I don't think the inspectors even know who tipped them off to be honest, just to be 100% safe.

The inspectors will just get the facts, person x has had a complained made against them about benefit fraud relating to y. Please request an interview with them or do an inspection at their property.

The problem with the fraud teams is that it's extremely hard to investigate frauds. The application process is meant to be stringent and is supposed to check for all of these fraudluent applications, but once someone gets through there isn't much DWP can do to stop them.

I imagine that there would be HUGE amount of work that has to be put in to succeed in a conviction. In most cases the cost to the taxpayer to carry out these investigations is more than what the benefit cheats end up swindling the taxpayer for.

fishybusiness

Its nothing to do with you what they are doing

Why not? Once someone tells their business to other people it is fair game.

If you saw someone breaking in to a car would you report it or turn a blind eye?

If someone was fiddling you out of money in some way, and another person worked out what was happening, would you want them to tell you?

Minding their business would mean you wouldn't get to know.

I bet you are not part of the local Neighbourhood Watch scheme :rotfl:

I would shop them btw, it is one thing making a mistake and keeping it quiet, it is another defrauding and boasting about it, especially if said people have enough money to live on already.

leveller2911

tomtom256 wrote: »

Report them, it will get looked at if there is something in it.

Most areas have several fraud teams with between 6 - 10 fraud officers per team. That does not include local authorities who tend to have 1 - 2 investigators that do a similar job and have the same powers.

I do not know of any DWP team that covers 25,000 people with just 4 investigators it is just not feasible or are you saying they have had 25,000 referrals?

I work with at least 3 different teams in my role covering my council's area alone and that can be upto about 18 different officers across the 3 teams. This does not cover the compliance officers who look at the lower end of fraud were criminal action is not going to be likely.

If your happy with your work mate to scam the system then say nothing, but don't moan about it.

Its a case of put up or shut up. If no one knows about it nothing can get done.

I'm saying my friend works for a Council around Folkestone/Dover in the Benefits dept and for her area they have 3-4 compliance/fraud officers.

Her Council is responsable for the Folkestone area and Folkestone alone has a population of nearly 40,000, not all on benefits obviously but there will be a sizeable number who are with only 4 complaince officers. She has told me benefit fraud (Housing benefit etc) is rife ,so who am I to argue as she is on the front line.

The case I posted of is in Rother District Council (East Sussex). As I said I have reported them online on more than one occasion and her stepfather has on the phone to the Council fraud hotline and via the national phone number.

So why is it when the Council has been notified and the National Fraud line was notified still nothing is done? Its all lip-service IMO.

In Kent theres around 38,000 unemployed,how many compliance/fraud investigators?.

tomtom256

leveller2911 wrote: »

I'm saying my friend works for a Council around Folkestone/Dover in the Benefits dept and for her area they have 3-4 compliance/fraud officers.

Her Council is responsable for the Folkestone area and Folkestone alone has a population of nearly 40,000, not all on benefits obviously but there will be a sizeable number who are with only 4 complaince officers. She has told me benefit fraud (Housing benefit etc) is rife ,so who am I to argue as she is on the front line.

The case I posted of is in Rother District Council (East Sussex). As I said I have reported them online on more than one occasion and her stepfather has on the phone to the Council fraud hotline and via the national phone number.

So why is it when the Council has been notified and the National Fraud line was notified still nothing is done? Its all lip-service IMO.

In Kent theres around 38,000 unemployed,how many compliance/fraud investigators?.

Not wanting to hijack this thread.

But how do you know nothing has been done? It may have been investigated and dealt with by way of a caution or administrative penalty both are out of court sanctions or they may have ceased there claim and now live officially as a couple.

You would be surprised how many people suddenly come off benefits once an interview is arranged or a compliance has visited.

skibadee

Report them, they will not know who reported them.
It might not even get investigated......but if we continue to fail to report these cheats the more they will do it.
It completely disgusts me that people are doing this yet people with genuine illnesses/disabilities/needs are being refused any help.

mum2one

I reported a person 3 times, as much detail as possible, obvioulsy you don't hear back from the powers to be, but trust me it worked, the benefits suddenly stopped appearing! I wish i had been a fly on the wall. Justice did get done, so it is worth reporting if you are sure there is fraud being committed x