I have a problem..........?

Question

Someone I know has been fraudulently claiming child benefit and tax credits as a single person for the past ten years ( I have only just found out). The children are nearly grown up now, so benefits will only be payable for the next couple of years. I don't know if I can shoulder the guilt of reporting this situation to the benefit fraud people. I know it's the right thing to do but I can't help feeling guilty if I were to tell. Any advice ?

p.s this person shows no remorse and just sees it as a neccasary evil to keep them financially afloat - even though they enjoy holidays abroad and going to the pub and for meals most nights!!

Answer 1

This is very hard. I know a few single mums who are on total income support, claiming all the benefits going but who also work full time in private house cleaning! I, on the other hand, work three nights a week in a care home and get family tax credit. Life is quite hard as it is without knowing there are some women out there, leading the life of Reily and raking in OUR hard earned money. The trouble is, that although this makes me mad with rage, I still cannot bring myself to grass them up and that also makes me mad!!! You just got to do whatever you can do without compromising your inner peace! And thats all there is to it!

Answer 2

I could not live with myself if I did not put a stop to this - clearly you will not be able to say to her that you will tell the necessary authorities unless she stops and also keep your friendship - if the friendship is that important to you then you will have to ignore the fraud but I don't think I could be friends with someone who could de-fraud myself and the rest of the tax paying public.

Every time they spent any money it would put a knife into your friendship.

How about cutting out some of the adverts in the papers and magazines about benefit fraud and just putting them through her letterbox. It might at least encourage her to put an end to her current claim even if nothing happend about the historical fraud.

I don't envy you this dilemma but I really would not want to feel friendly towards someone who could do this, over ten years she could have fraudulently claimed upwards of £50,000 in benefits that is quite a few holidays, christmas presents, birthday presents, new clothes, new furniture, dinners out, etc that you and I could not have afforded on our income and budgets.

If she is not a close friend or only an acquaintance I would have no problems in calling the benefit fraud hotline - it is all anonymous and they would investigate her living arrangements before contacting her - they would not even say they had been tipped off.

Answer 3

I think that you should report this person anonymously.
It will always be a conflict of decision when it is someone you know.
what you have to rememeber is that there are thousands of people out there that actually deserve benifit help, and those that actually take the pi** , and commit fraud.
I use to work in a local chemist part time, before i started my full time job, and the number of people that i would see ticking the box at the back of a prescription form that they were on social benifit, was huge! however, you would see there children and them with the lastest clothes, trainer that cost £60-100 and brand new cars!

It's wrong, and illegal !

Report it! descreetly though.

good luck

Answer 4

Why is this your problem though? Honestly yeah it sucks that this person is cheating the system, but it's the systems job to not let this happen. They are not doing their job by checking to make sure that the people are who they say they are, and have what they say they have.

How is this person cheating? They are married and claiming to be single?
The children aren't benefiting at all?

All, I can say is, it's not your job to report her if you can't do so without feeling horrible about it. It's the job of the folks giving this person the money.
One day it'll probably catch up to her one way or another anyway.

Answer 5

Be a resposible citizen & report them. Any guilt is theirs. They are obtaining YOUR tax money that should rightfully go to a better cause. Anyway, the decision whether they are guilty or no is for the Benefits Agency

Answer 6

Turn them in... This is harder said than done should this person be someone you dare call a friend but think of it this way - the person to whom you are speaking about might be taking the money needed by yet another family in a lot worse need than the one actually getting it.

Does the lady doing this actually need the money or is she doing it because she can?

Answer 7

What they are doing is disgusting and I think you should report them. The system is for those who need it not to allow people to take holidays. There is a confidential line to report them so get it done. What they are doing is a criminal offence and the money they take comes from the taxes you and I pay.

Answer 8

Not a good situation to be in, But the only advice anyone can give you is that you have a duty to report it. Perhaps you should anonymously make them aware that they will be reported unless they cease and desist without ANY delay. That gives them a chance to stop of their volition.

Answer 9

Your report should be anonymous, you can ask them not to reveal your name, and they have to honour that. You could write a letter if you don't want to go to the benefit folks yourself.
I would do this if I were you...after all if you're a taxpayer that's YOUR money this person is taking.

Answer 10

Are they a relative of yours? If it were me..I'd just leave it alone as it would be none of my business what they do. You know the old saying.."clean up your backyard before you start in anyone else's".
They will probably get caught eventually, and if not..then hurray for them.