Should I report a family member illegally claiming benefits?

jrb74

be careful - are you sure that you know every single thing about you uncles fiances or do you only think that you do?

i have been on the opposite side of the OP - i was reported for benefit fraud by my sister. originally i was told it was an anonymous call but things mentioned only she knew and outcome was that it was a false complaint by a 'vindictive family member'.
there had been changes in my circumstances that i had notified the necessary departments about but since it was nothing to do with my sister i hadnt told her.
we were a very close family before and i put up with a lot of things from her because of that bond. now i have no contact with her and neither do my kids and i can see its effect on the rest of the family.

FBaby

The question is not whether to report or not, but whether to report before of after discussing it with the family member.

If I had very good reason to suspect a family member or friend to be cheating benefits, I would certainly bring it up with them to give them a chance to explain. My decision to report or not would be based in the response.

In the above circumstances, this should have avoided the following resentment. Why do you think your sister didn't see fit to discuss it with you first?

duchy

This made me laugh

Why do some families assume they have a god given right to know the private business of other family members ?

I don't see the need to discuss my financial business with my family nor do I demand to see their pay slips or bank statements either.

It's easy for someone with a chip on their shoulder to assume someone is still claiming benefits when the reality may not be the case- but the ex- claimant feels no obligation to discuss it with (for example) their nosey and judgemental niece or nephew or their gossipy mother (or sister in FBaby's example below) . .

FBaby wrote: »

The question is not whether to report or not, but whether to report before of after discussing it with the family member.

If I had very good reason to suspect a family member or friend to be cheating benefits, I would certainly bring it up with them to give them a chance to explain. My decision to report or not would be based in the response.

In the above circumstances, this should have avoided the following resentment. Why do you think your sister didn't see fit to discuss it with you first?

BitterAndTwisted

Benefit fraud is a really tiny, miniscule percentage of the entire welfare bill. It probably costs more money to investigate and collect over-paid benefits than was originally paid out.

The present government are hell-bent on reducing the welfare bill, it was a significant part of their most recent manifesto. I have a fear that a great many people who are currently entitled to their benefits will be considered no longer entitled to them, or pushed off DLA/PIP/other benefits and onto JSA, or none at all.



In answer to the OP's question, mine is "No, I wouldn't" Few people who are in receipt of benefits are living high on the hog. Most of them are enduring close-to-penury. I was a welfare recipient not that long ago but am now a tax-payer again, thank God. I was grateful for the benefits I received but found it absolutely impossible to make ends meet, and I had no debts to my name at the time. I suspect that most other people in the same position as I was are finding it just as hard if not harder.

Be careful what you wish for, is all I say! Not a single one of us knows what the future might bring.....

HoneyNutLoop

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/429749/stats-release-v3.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tax-credits-error-and-fraud-reduced-to-an-all-time-low

The percentage figures may seem low, but the monetary figures seems pretty high to me.

Jagraf

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Benefit fraud is a really tiny, miniscule percentage of the entire welfare bill. It probably costs more money to investigate and collect over-paid benefits than was originally paid out.

The present government are hell-bent on reducing the welfare bill, it was a significant part of their most recent manifesto. I have a fear that a great many people who are currently entitled to their benefits will be considered no longer entitled to them, or pushed off DLA/PIP/other benefits and onto JSA, or none at all.



In answer to the OP's question, mine is "No, I wouldn't" Few people who are in receipt of benefits are living high on the hog. Most of them are enduring close-to-penury. I was a welfare recipient not that long ago but am now a tax-payer again, thank God. I was grateful for the benefits I received but found it absolutely impossible to make ends meet, and I had no debts to my name at the time. I suspect that most other people in the same position as I was are finding it just as hard if not harder.

Be careful what you wish for, is all I say! Not a single one of us knows what the future might bring.....

I'm not quite sure why your explanation makes it ok to steal? Only a very small percentage of people get attacked but does that mean we should allow it? If it were someone robbing a botle of vodka from your shop twenty times a week should we ignore it,as its only one shop?

HoneyNutLoop

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/364009/4382_Measuring_Tax_Gaps_2014_IW_v4B_accessible_20141014.pdf

Added for comparison. Conclusion: significantly more lost to welfare fraud and error than tax gap.

FBaby

It's easy for someone with a chip on their shoulder to assume someone is still claiming benefits when the reality may not be the case- but the ex- claimant feels no obligation to discuss it with (for example) their nosey and judgemental niece or nephew or their gossipy mother (or sister in FBaby's example below) . .

It's not about knowing all the ins and out of a family member's business, it's about taking to them before acting on reporting them if they have reasons to believe that they might be commiting fraud. I would think that before you can suspect that it might be the case, you might have heard/seen/been told things that leads you to believe that it is the case. It's about clarifying things to reduce the chances of reporting falsly whilst not closing your eyes to strong suspicions.

JIL

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Benefit fraud is a really tiny, miniscule percentage of the entire welfare bill. It probably costs more money to investigate and collect over-paid benefits than was originally paid out.

Thats a sweeping statement, perhaps a foi request would give you some real figures.

you only have to read the papers/watch the news to see some people are fraudulently claiming millions.

insurance companies, banks, police etc all investigate fraud, why would dwp just look the other way?

BitterAndTwisted

Jagraf wrote: »

I'm not quite sure why your explanation makes it ok to steal? Only a very small percentage of people get attacked but does that mean we should allow it? If it were someone robbing a botle of vodka from your shop twenty times a week should we ignore it,as its only one shop?

Because I don't consider claiming, or continuing to claim a benefit that you may no longer be entitled to, as "theft".

It's hardly comparable to shop-lifting or knocking old ladies down in the street for their handbags.

There are tens of thousands, perhaps more, who are going to get their benefits cut very, very soon. Child benefit, working tax credits, all sorts. Some of those might now be of a mind that claiming what you're not strictly entitled to is a crime, but some of them might be changing their tune once their own incomes start being jeopardised. And those will be people in work, not those who are jobless while allegedly living the life of Riley at the tax-payers' expense.