Should I report a family member illegally claiming benefits?

lostinrates

Domayne wrote: »

Well arent you holier than thou. I'm also disappointed that the majority of people would sell out their own flesh and blood over 'society' a bunch of people you dont know and have never met...lol and a law that doesn't give a crap about you.
I'm also reminded daily how glad i am that im not related to/friends with 98% of mse users.

The law doesn't care got the individual perhaps, because it doesn't know any of us....that's rather the point....its impartial ( ideally).

Its funny because what saddens you gives me hope; that perhaps people are beginning to realise that taking because they can get away with it is not away forward when there are people they might not know personally who need more than they do.

If more people start thinking this perhaps we can get somewhere, help more effectively those who need it, and start creating a country with more opportunity and prospect, which in turn, can help more those who need it, and so on.....

Jagraf

Domayne wrote: »

Well arent you holier than thou. I'm also disappointed that the majority of people would sell out their own flesh and blood over 'society' a bunch of people you dont know and have never met...lol and a law that doesn't give a crap about you.
I'm also reminded daily how glad i am that im not related to/friends with 98% of mse users.

I dunno, if my uncle was stealing my money I would be asking "how can he take money from his own flesh and blood"

Buzzybee90

Domayne wrote: »

Well arent you holier than thou. I'm also disappointed that the majority of people would sell out their own flesh and blood over 'society' a bunch of people you dont know and have never met...lol and a law that doesn't give a crap about you.
I'm also reminded daily how glad i am that im not related to/friends with 98% of mse users.

Or, perhaps the majority of people on here don't have family members that would cheat the system, thus the original question is moot.

tallgirld

No you shouldn't report him. Imagine being related to someone like you!!!
You are thinking of reporting your own uncle over a few quid.

Mind your own business you grass!!!!

Jagraf

Seriously, all these people who think stealing is ok :eek:

HoneyNutLoop

Domayne wrote: »

Yes, I would. I'm very close to my family and they are the most important thing in the world to me. I'd feel bad for the old lady, I'd feel disappointed in my family member that could do such a thing. But I'd never ever shop any of them for anything, no, not even murder.

This doesn't make any sense - everyone is family to someone. Does that mean you feel no crime should be punished? Or that you just don't want to be involved in the process? I'm guessing you've never been the victim of a crime, as it definitely alters perspective.

I also don't get the POV that someone reporting a crime is somehow guilty of a worse offence than someone committing a crime. Why should the one reporting it feel ashamed or worried about backlash from other family members? Surely the guilty party should be the one who is ashamed and worried about what the rest of their family will think?

Also those that think benefit fraud is just a matter of a few pounds must have no idea how much can be paid. It's not going to be a few pounds. 6 months worth of JSA is £1900, add in LHA and your talking somewhere between another £1250 to £3500 in the same period. That's before you consider amounts paid for children or ESA/PIP. Someone fraudulently claiming could feasibly claim five figure sums during the course of a year. That's not small change.

Finally, for those who chirrup about the MP's or corporations being worse; didn't your parents ever teach you that two wrongs don't make a right? One does not excuse the other.

I would strongly hope that if I was the victim of a crime, witnesses would come forward and the perpetrator would be caught and duly punished. Apparently, the chances are thin based on the responses in this thread.

LilElvis

Domayne wrote: »

Yes, I would. I'm very close to my family and they are the most important thing in the world to me. I'd feel bad for the old lady, I'd feel disappointed in my family member that could do such a thing. But I'd never ever shop any of them for anything, no, not even murder.

So, if a member of your family was the victim of an awful crime, such as rape or murder, and the police asked you to make a public appeal for information your answer would be : "No, I couldn't expect someone to "grass" on a relative"? I somehow think your answer might be a little different.

geerex

Jagraf wrote: »

Seriously, all these people who think stealing is ok :eek:

Agreed.

I work damn hard, to see the government take their cut every month is bad enough, but to know that some of that cut is going to fund the workshy, the lazy, and in the case of the OPs "uncle", the downright criminal, is sickening.

I'd report him in a heartbeat. People who steal like this should be locked up.

FatVonD

I sometimes wonder how many of those calling out others as being a 'grass' on these threads are benefits cheats themselves.

Maggie.Moo_2

I agree that you need to discuss it with your uncle to see if he is aware of it. There are three possibilities and below are my experience with all of them (a bit long winded so feel free to skip). Either your uncle isn't aware that he is no longer entitled, your uncle is aware and is deliberately committing benefit fraud, or you are wrong about his entitlement. All can be solved by talking to him and then reporting him if necessary. I personally can't see how it's okay to ignore benefit fraud regardless of who is doing it.

My mum currently owes thousands for receiving child tax credits and child benefit for my sister after she started university. She phoned up and told them she was going to uni but they recorded it incorrectly and my mum still received the payments and incorrectly assumed she was still entitled until I corrected her. Despite already spending the money (on rent because she refused to claim housing benefit until recently), she did report it herself hoping that she'd be let off as it wasn't completely her fault but of course that's not how it works. Sadly, if she had claimed housing benefit years ago (she has always been entitled) she wouldn't have spent this money and would have been able to give it back straight away but now she's in debt because of it.

On the other hand, some people deliberately misrepresent their circumstances and will happily keep the money until someone else reports them. I have actually reported my brother for benefit fraud on two occasions because he was straight up lying about his circumstances. Basically, he hasn't been living with us for the best part of a decade but he never changed his address because all of the people he stayed with received benefits (as did he) and they got more money if they said he wasn't living with them - he got around this by staying at ours for a few days each week. I finally reported this after he hadn't been to ours for about a month after moving in with his girlfriend and they broke up shortly after. A few weeks later he moved in with a new girlfriend and her child so I reported that after another month and, to my surprise, he changed his address and now they make a joint claim. I'll admit that I did all of this anonymously but everyone knew it was going on and if I didn't do it he would still be constantly buying new electronics and going on expensive nights out etc. I have told a few people that it was me who reported him but I know my mother and sister would despise me for doing this because they refuse to see the bigger picture of the impact of benefit fraud.

There's also people who may seem like they're committing fraud but they aren't. I was called into the Jobcentre because someone incorrectly reported me for benefit fraud (I was claiming Income Support as a lone parent whilst I finished college). I didn't even know why I was there until the person asked me questions about my non-existent partner and I was obviously confused. It didn't take them long to realise there must have been a misunderstanding and they sent me off home. Later I received a letter from HMRC because it came to their attention that there was a male in the house also claiming (my brother) and they wanted us to make a new joint claim or provide evidence that we weren't a couple (ew!) - you'd think they would know we were siblings as my mother claimed child tax credits for all of us when we were children!

Bottom line is, you need to act. Whether this is talking to your uncle or just reporting him is your decision. Benefit fraud is never a good thing and even if he needs the money now, he'll have to pay it back once he's discovered (assuming you are right).