Would you report them?

FBaby

OP, I think someone else mentioned it, but don't you think your friend could have confided in you because they were hoping YOU would make an anonymous call to report them?

j.e.j.

Some food for thought here:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/01/welfare-fraud-tax-avoidance

In short:
Last year, 0.7% of total benefit expenditure was overpaid due to fraud, according to the DWP's official estimates. This totalled £1.2bn over the year.

.. the amount of money underpaid to those entitled to it: £1.3bn.


Probably more one for Discussion Time than here, but worth a read, if you're interested.

eamon

The government has no idea as to how much of current benefit claims are fraudulent. At best any quoted figure is an estimate and is probably a wild exaggeration. Benefit fraud is a crime though and the punishments are severe and can include prisom time. Doing the double used to be a pseudo acceptable occupation. Less easy to do nowadays with widespread use of bank to bank payments and crackdowns on the black economy I suppose. Unless of course you can afford an accountant. Back to the OP and the dilemna, have a word with the suspect and hope that the right thing is done.

supersaver2

**professor~yaffle** wrote: »

Someone snitching on another person is equally as 'morally bankrupt'. If you're going to tell tales on someone, that's your good right to do so, but don't try and hide and pretend you're not or you will look very stupid when (not if) you're found out!

Another very real danger is that someone else will be suspected of doing the grassing and that someone else will have to take the consequences for something YOU have done but they haven't. Still feeling morally superior?

And no, not everyone who claims benefits is a violent thug, sorry to disappoint you!

Grassing and snitching?! Sorry are we still in Primary School? You must have some strange morals if you believe a person who reports a benefit cheat is equally as 'morally bankrupt' as the person committing the crime. I often wonder about people who defend cheats to the hilt.

**professor~yaffle**

supersaver2 wrote: »

Grassing and snitching?! Sorry are we still in Primary School? You must have some strange morals if you believe a person who reports a benefit cheat is equally as 'morally bankrupt' as the person committing the crime. I often wonder about people who defend cheats to the hilt.

No-one is defending cheats, dear. Try and read what I've written

aileth

supersaver2 wrote: »

Grassing and snitching?!

And here's naive old me who thought that calling someone a grass was something you did in prison or 'on da street.'

jscott05

It's wrong what they are doing but when we live in a country that have bankers doing what they want to people engergy bosses crippling people with there high prices and large bonus. And MP who have been stealing from us for years not to mention all the loop holes that the rich have access to jimmy carr being one who hasn't done to bad out of his scandel.
I say start at the top then work our way down to everybody who is commiting Fruad. Still not right what they are doing but until we deal with the problem of all the above then why won't poorer people take advantage.

Richard53

Would I dob my own parents in for benefit fraud? Probably not. If they were committing fraud and someone else dobbed them in, would I think that was the right thing? Yes, I would.

Bottom line, cheating the benefits system is theft, pure and simple. I work hard and pay every penny of tax that I am due (on wages that are well below the national average), and I find it difficult to accept that others can have things that I can't afford because they don't like the idea of working, and think I should subsidise them.

I have no issue with people in genuine need claiming benefits. I have done so myself at one stage of my life. But as someone pointed out up there ^^^ the benefits system was supposed to be a safety net, not a hammock.

Ideal solution: she talks to them and persuades them at least to stop claiming what they are not entitled to. Real world, she might have to give someone (the OP?) enough details so they can make an anonymous report. It's not snitching or grassing, and it's certainly not the Stasi (purlease), it's making sure that the system runs for the benefit of those who need it, and continues to do so. And yes, politicians are corrupt and greedy, and bankers are over-rewarded and often incompetent, and yes, that has absolutely zero relevance to this debate.

redmel1621

Oooh loads of replies:)

I nipped round to hers for a cuppa today and got some more info. She was a bit reluctant as she said she wants to just forget about it and see if her parent stops... Although it turns out it isn't directly her parent claiming the money her parent is involved quite a lot.

j.e.j.

If I've understood it right:

Parent's partner is claiming Housing Benefit to pay the 'rent' in the house that officially the parent no longer lives in.

But in reality the parent IS living there and is getting the Housing Benefit money, and they are living together as a couple?

I would not shop a parent but I think they're taking a big risk doing this, as someone is bound to say something!