Report benefit fraud?

Clarey22

Hi - just after a bit of advice please. I know this is a question only I can really answer but just wanted other peoples views. Would you report a family member for commiting benefit fraud? My FIL is currently bankrupt and claiming housing and council tax benefit but also doing several cash in hand jobs (pretty much full time work). His attitude to debts and the BR have been that he couldn't care much and seems to be taking advantage of the help from benefit but is only making the matter worse by not dealing with his debts properly. I just wondered whether the shock of being caught might make him realise that he has to deal with it rather than trying to cheat the system. Thanks all for any help.

JPS29

This is just my personal take on this and everyones will be different........

I adopt the theory of "live and let live".

Yes, undoubtedly what he is doing is wrong, but what will be achieved by you reporting him?
No doubt it would cause distress to him, the family in an already stressful time. Maybe he needs to do the cash in hand jobs to make ends meet if he is on benefits. Will everyone else on benefits get an increase because one less is claiming....

It's a hard one to comment on without knowing all the facts but I would think thoroughly before doing anything and think of the posible consequences, not to mention your OH finding out you reported their father.

Belnahua

Hard I know, but yes I would report him

For the simple reason, they *WILL* catch him, and the longer it goes on, the worse the punishment will be. Over £1500 and it goes to court, and the newspapers get all the gory details. Nip it in the bud now, before it spirals out of control!

dalip

Whilst i understand your dilema(sp) i really this this question should be on the benefits forum. This forum is for those needing help during/after bc. We are not here to judge or to make judgements on others. Only you can answer your question. I wish you all the best in your fight between principles/love and family. Not an easy choice to make.D

maxmycardagain

follow your heart............

if you feel better grassing him up and getting him nicked and maybe jailed, go for it

BTW, hes your partners dad, consider the ramifications...

IRT1959

Clarey, From the other side of the fence, I was recently interviewed by the dwp and have been given the opportunity to do a voluntary disclosure which means I shall be repaying every penny I claimed in benefits since last October and I had been followed and photographed for quite some time, so, they have me by the proverbial *Short & Curlies*

By doing the disclosure nobody else can be linked to me or implicated and I can draw a line under it all knowing that no other actions can then be taken against me or them and the dwp / benefits people ( etc ) will leave them alone.

It isn't just the immediate consequences, but the `knock on` effect can be like a ripple in a pond. My advice? Say nothing sweetie because if your FIL is doing as you say then somebody else will have noticed too. As dalip says, the question would be better posed in the benefits threads,,, but be careful of the trolls & flamers there

PixiePie

Everyone will hate me, and I'm possibly opening myself up to flames, but personally yes I would report him, but then that's only because I would be so racked with thinking about it all the time for it's 'wrongness' that I wouldn't be able to sleep probably. Yes I am a heartless cow - someone is cheating, and whilst life isn't fair if I know about it why should I look the other way so they can carry on? As I say, that's just me - if you don't feel you can, seeing as you know far more about the situation, tbh it's none of our business one way or the other imho, but as you asked for a range of opinions
From the point of view that you mention about him not managing his finances - as a BR he either obviously has cash flow issues, or had a wopper of bad luck etc, but there's all the more reason for there-after being 'good' with personal finances and as you also mention, sometimes being cruel to be kind is needed - again you know the situation much much better being on the ground so to speak, but if he is carrying out benefit fraud now, is there any reason to suspect he will stop other than being caught? If not, then perhaps being caught is what is needed, and turning your head and thinking someone else will do it is a bit of a gamble perhaps.

Good luck whatever you decide - you know in your heart what you want/have to do I guess .

(PS the bit before last bit was in a vain attempt to protect myself from flamers (edited after added some more as it sounded like I was only offering luck etc to stop flamers)- so not the case - please note I have not condemned the OP nor said how terrible a person they are. I personally think benefit cheats are very low and deserve everything they get, and I talk from someone's pov that has been in the gutter quite literally without a penny to rub against another one, so just not having enough money, or any other excuse *in my opinion* is not acceptable. But then it is just that - an opinion, which is what was being asked for).

SuziQ

Have you ever had the conversation with him,that what he is doing is wrong and he will most likely get caught? If so and he carries on I think he deserves to get caught I'm afraid.
I don't know if I could report him though. My husband reported his ex for benefit fraud and lying to the legal aid commision-it was the legal aid bit that prompted him as her misuse cost us a lot of money answering unecessary letters she could afford as they were being sent free (until she had to repay ) but I'm not sure I could have shopped her,even though I disliked her!

bryanb

InTheBrownStuff wrote: »

This is just my personal take on this and everyones will be different........

I adopt the theory of "live and let live".

. Will everyone else on benefits get an increase because one less is claiming....

.

No but those of us not on benefits will be paying a little less overall

skylight

I am on the report side.

As far as I see it, stealing is stealing, whether its from me or anyone else. Now, if I knew without a doubt that this money was a difference between him and his family eating or not (and he wasn't wasting it on fags/beer/etc) then I would probably turn a blind eye - and offer some help to sort out their situation. But this man sounds a bit like a ...**... so I would grass.

As Maxmycardagain put it though, there are likely to be consequences - he is related afterall.

JPS29

bryanb wrote: »

No but those of us not on benefits will be paying a little less overall

How

Are my taxes going to be cut if this one person is shopped??

I'm not saying I agree with it but what I'm saying is that the other genuine recipients of benefit will not receive any more and the honest tax payers will not pay any less regardless of this person being shopped or not.