Benefit cheats,

Chocolatelovinggran It was over a period of five years from 2018 to 2023, so all of it happened when there was a Conservative government. Maybe MadameFeuveral thinks that the Conservative Prime Ministers at the time (I've lost track of how many there were) had no morals. I'm really not clear how Starmer was involved.

@Chocolate

I never claimed everything was the fault of Starmer. Perhaps you could show me where I made that claim? I was responding to a PP that certain behaviour can be legal, and yet immoral - a statement with which Starmer would agree.

MadameFeuveral

@Chocolate

I never claimed everything was the fault of Starmer. Perhaps you could show me where I made that claim? I was responding to a PP that certain behaviour can be legal, and yet immoral - a statement with which Starmer would agree.

As would many millions of people, so why pick on just one?

Well the DWP soon leapt on us last year. We are honest people and have always been truthful with everything. My DH was getting ESA as he had to take early retirement due to ill health. His private pension went up slightly last April and we overlooked the fact we should have let them know. They caught up with us in October and I wrote to them apologising that we were sorry. We weren't trying to defraud them and had inadvertently overlooked informing them. They told us they had overpaid my DH and we paid them back all the overpayments and they topped it off by fining him another £50. So you don't always get away with it.

Assets should be taken to offset such crime as there's no deterrent.

No BlueBelle I am not saying that it's OK to walk away with more change than you're entitled too. Benefit fraud is not the same as being paid for example winter fuel benefit that you don't need but are entitled to receive.

I know they are trying to claw back the PPE hotline covid fraud, from those 'high end' cheats. Wish they would also tackle the tax evasion/avoidance by the billionaire businessfolk. Perhaps it would help if the media reporting the benefits cheats, would also challenge some of those wealthy cheats.

Moonwatcher1904

Well the DWP soon leapt on us last year. We are honest people and have always been truthful with everything. My DH was getting ESA as he had to take early retirement due to ill health. His private pension went up slightly last April and we overlooked the fact we should have let them know. They caught up with us in October and I wrote to them apologising that we were sorry. We weren't trying to defraud them and had inadvertently overlooked informing them. They told us they had overpaid my DH and we paid them back all the overpayments and they topped it off by fining him another £50. So you don't always get away with it.

Thanks for putting another side of the coin. Benefit rules can be punitive and the DWP is good at finding innocent transgressors.

Your post reminded me of the scandal of the carers allowance repayments which emerged a few months ago

www.carersuk.org/press-releases/thousands-of-carers-receiving-new-debt-letters-as-review-into-carer-s-allowance-overpayments-continues/

What is an ‘innocent transgressor’?

Ladyleftfieldlover

What is an ‘innocent transgressor’?

Someone who breaks the rules unintentionally.

lemsip

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08/29/benefit-cheat-holidays-found-guilty-spared-jail/Benefit cheat travelled abroad so often friends called her ‘Miss Holiday’. why aren't the Benefits people checking more thoroughly before giving away money.

There is an equal amount of error by the DWP as there is by its clients. And then there is a small amount of fraud.

Wouldn't it be better to shout for an improved system, rather than finding yet another group of people to attack, simply because they are identifiable and you are not part of that group.

It will be people who are part of this group who are most impacted by fraud, they will be the ones who follow the rules, fill in the endless tedious assessments, etc, whilst they watch others commit fraud. Their feelings matter. It reminds me of mocking that happened when people tried to raise the issue of fare dodgers.
I would say it is the privileged who are the ones who don't care about this issue.

If a benefits recipient is suspected of fraud then the DWP investigators will spare nothing to hound them. But multi-millionaire tax fraudsters? Not only can they afford a legal team to tie the Inland Revenue in knots with their own rules but money equals power: the bigger the bank account the more power leverage at your disposal.

Sadly, money talks.

windmill1

If a benefits recipient is suspected of fraud then the DWP investigators will spare nothing to hound them. But multi-millionaire tax fraudsters? Not only can they afford a legal team to tie the Inland Revenue in knots with their own rules but money equals power: the bigger the bank account the more power leverage at your disposal.

Sadly, money talks.

Are you justifying intentional benefit fraud?

windmill Maybe you think this was OK:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64836063

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

And yet - this morning in the Daily Mail:

“Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) data shows that £423 million in benefits was claimed by fraudsters living outside the UK in 2024/25.”

That’s an awful lot to go missing isn’t it?

FriedGreenTomatoes2

And yet - this morning in the Daily Mail:

“Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) data shows that £423 million in benefits was claimed by fraudsters living outside the UK in 2024/25.”

That’s an awful lot to go missing isn’t it?

Is this the same story:

www.gov.uk/government/news/child-benefit-action-to-save-350-million-from-claimants-abroad

I've read the Daily Mail article now and I can see that this is in addition to the child benefit fraud, which is administered by HMRC.

Galaxy is right. Many people make honest claims and it's galling to see fraud.