Benefits cheats, do you know one?

Meanwhile, Jaguar LandRover are breaking the law on sanctions by transporting RangeRovers to Russia.
So far nobody has knocked on their door 😡

I could almost have written MONica’s post. Of all the people I helped with benefit claims for disability over many years, everyone was genuinely entitled, apart from three.

Two of these were advised by me that they did not fit the criteria so we could not justify completing the forms. They accepted this, so did not claim.
The third one is the only person who I felt was lying, but as we always acted pro-client, we completed the form, but emphasised that by signing it, he was signing that he had told the truth. The onus was on him. We never found out whether his claim succeeded.

So many claimants would not succeed without help. My Mum made light of her suffering, but with help she won Attendance Allowance, once the form was completed to say how little she could manage, whereas she wanted to say how much she could do, not how little.
Many claimants are turned down and need help to appeal. It is not easy to be awarded disability benefits. And no, not all disabilities are visible.

One of the first things I learned was not to make assumptions or be judgmental.

I've seen many a post on here about how the bank of mum and dad bale their adult children out - shopping, cars, house deposits, and so on.
Just be aware that if your offspring is on benefits, you and more particularly they, are potentially skating on thin ice with regard to fraudulently claiming benefits without declaring any freebies.

I am partially sighted and not very mobile, so I decided to fill in a form for Attendance Allowance. It was around 30 pages long, and it took me ages to complete. I did know the jargon, but I felt sorry for people who would have been put off seeing what had to be filled in.

I received the higher amount without any problems but many would not be so fortunate.

My mother in law was caught out by the council with a very healthy, undeclared, bank account. Fortunately they didn't dig too deeply as I suspect it went back to money my father in law obtained from various nefarious sources, while claiming free council housing because of his low wages. The council decided that taking a woman in her mid 80s to court wasn't a good look so the money was repaid, they sorted out pension credit for her, and I got Power Of Attorney so I could see what was happening with her money. Till the day she died she could never see that she'd done anything wrong and every time I saw her she would complain about the Council stealing all her money.

Sago I suppose people who benefit from a reduced rate by paying cash in hand to benefit cheats are guilty by association and should be penalised.

Well done Monica 💐

OP, so you reported your neighbor's for benefit fraud out of vindictiveness because they had caused trouble for you even though you knew prior to this trouble that they were benefit cheats?

I live in a very, very poor, deprived area, but as far as I know, nobody is pretending anything to get benefits.

We have a block of flats which houses all of those with addictions (though its called something less polite, as a rule) but they all have their problems.

Which came first, the problem or the addiction, I wouldn't profess to know, but they are harmless enough.

M0nica

I was a volunteer Home Advisor with Age Concern (as was, now Age UK) for 10 years. Most of my work was dealing with filling in benefit clains, mainly Attendance Allowance, Pension credit, but, at times, DLA.

In all that time I never met a single benefit claimant who tried to exagerate their ills or claim something that they were not entitled to.

I also learn that you cannot tell the extent of someone's disability by seeing them around. I had one lady, a bright cheerful lady despite multiple health problems. Seeing her walk round her community holding her husband's arm. She looked the picture of good health. No one could tell she was deaf, suffered from anxiety, had Meunieres disease that caused periods of extreme dizziness and several other problems, but I saw her at home in her 'off' periods, when she was bed bound, unable to even go to the bathroom and in constant pain.

I also got benefits for people who needed and qualified for them but could not cope with the very arcane way these forms had to be filled in. I knew the way to answer the questions in the right way, using the right language, using the words that ticked the boxes. I was very proud of my success rate in getting people benefits they had previously been unable to claim because the system defeated them. I also supported those who had been refused benefit when they took their refusal to appeal, again, my success rate was nearly 100%

Yet I have seen real criticism of people like I was helping people apply for benefits by helping them use the right phrases and language that makes a successful claim more likely.

I have seen far more people living in poverty because they could not access benefits they were entitled to than I have met people claiming unjustly.

Well said
xx

I was a volunteer Home Advisor with Age Concern (as was, now Age UK) for 10 years. Most of my work was dealing with filling in benefit clains, mainly Attendance Allowance, Pension credit, but, at times, DLA.

In all that time I never met a single benefit claimant who tried to exagerate their ills or claim something that they were not entitled to.

I also learn that you cannot tell the extent of someone's disability by seeing them around. I had one lady, a bright cheerful lady despite multiple health problems. Seeing her walk round her community holding her husband's arm. She looked the picture of good health. No one could tell she was deaf, suffered from anxiety, had Meunieres disease that caused periods of extreme dizziness and several other problems, but I saw her at home in her 'off' periods, when she was bed bound, unable to even go to the bathroom and in constant pain.

I also got benefits for people who needed and qualified for them but could not cope with the very arcane way these forms had to be filled in. I knew the way to answer the questions in the right way, using the right language, using the words that ticked the boxes. I was very proud of my success rate in getting people benefits they had previously been unable to claim because the system defeated them. I also supported those who had been refused benefit when they took their refusal to appeal, again, my success rate was nearly 100%

Yet I have seen real criticism of people like I was helping people apply for benefits by helping them use the right phrases and language that makes a successful claim more likely.

I have seen far more people living in poverty because they could not access benefits they were entitled to than I have met people claiming unjustly.

Many years ago two close family members were claiming benefits while the husband was working full time. It was an open secret…..It resulted in them being able to buy a second home…( just a small 2 bed terrace in the same street that they were living in already). Twenty years later they are divorced and each living in one of the houses. I was livid at the time but didn’t report them……couldn’t bring myself to do it… but it’s not right.

I think the hardliners cheating syndicates, set up with countless false addresses, names, and even non existent dependents are bound to put people's hackles up.

Someone earning ten pounds for cleaning, though... particularly when all of the children of these women actually have fathers.
I find that hard to get cross about.

Sago That's not quite what I'm saying. I meant it to be more nuanced than that. I would take a more sympathetic view if someone were needy rather than greedy.

I suppose the view could be taken that it is not "fine" under any circumstances and you should always take the hard line and report any infringement of benefit rules, however small or infrequent, as it is your duty as a fine upstanding citizen.

I feel conflicted here. Back in the early 80s we lived in Lancashire in a no-mans-land for jobs, we queued for the dole, had kids to feed and bills to pay, times were hard, was like 'boys from the black stuff' - 'gissa job'. So maybe we all tried to get a bit more benefit back then, not so much playing the system as just desperately trying to make ends meet.
I think circumstances can put some benefit cheating into context, there are criminals who will play the system but also some desperate souls who are trying to keep their heads above water.

Sorry! That should say Indigo8

Exactly Sago

Indigo8

For me, it would depend on the circumstances.

Say for instance a single mother on benefits did a bit of cash in hand, cleaning in order to be able to afford enough for her children to have the odd decent meal that didn't come from the food bank, then I might turn a blind eye.(this is hypothetical)

But if somebody were claiming benefits and running a lucrative online business which enabled them to swank about in designer clothes, wear a Rolex and run an expensive car then, yes, I would have no qualms about reporting them.(again hypothetical)

Personally, I don't think there is a one size fits all answer to the question posed by the OP.

So it’s fine so long as you don’t get too greedy?

For me, it would depend on the circumstances.

Say for instance a single mother on benefits did a bit of cash in hand, cleaning in order to be able to afford enough for her children to have the odd decent meal that didn't come from the food bank, then I might turn a blind eye.(this is hypothetical)

But if somebody were claiming benefits and running a lucrative online business which enabled them to swank about in designer clothes, wear a Rolex and run an expensive car then, yes, I would have no qualms about reporting them.(again hypothetical)

Personally, I don't think there is a one size fits all answer to the question posed by the OP.

I really don’t understand why anyone, knowing that benefit fraud was being committed, wouldn’t report it. They are stealing your money! I believe there is a moral duty to report fraudsters. It can be done anonymously.

I would report it. It's theft plain and simple and it's wrong.

I don't know how anyone can consider benefits as a lifestyle choice.
Considering how much less it is than the average pensioner gets...

I could never grass anyone up for benefit fraud. Just couldn’t do it.

Unknown to my friend her husband was having an affair.
He had a car accident and suffered mild whiplash apparently.
His life had started to become quite complicated, I presume because of the affair and attempting to keep it hidden.
He had seemingly become unreliable at work and was told he would be sacked or could resign. His wife had no knowledge of this at the time.
He then went on the sick and kept pretending to go to work.
Meanwhile he had claimed he was suffering from a bad back due to the car accident and went to one of these no win, no fee solicitors ( a letter from them had arrived at their home).
Eventually my friend found out about the affair, you can only hide a lack of salary for so long.
She threw him out and promptly reported him to the DWP or similar and sent a letter to the solicitor suggesting possible insurance fraud.
We never did find out the outcome but can only assume it was investigated.

Barleyfields we have a friend who spends many antisocial hours in difficult situations gaining evidence to prosecute those who fraudulently claim benefits, they do exist.