Benefit Cheat runs 3 miles daily. Fraudulently claims £70k

I don’t see how the fact of ‘bigger fish’ getting away with it, means that we can’t be appalled at anyone quite deliberately conning the taxpayer out of £70k.

Of course the bigger fish should be caught, too. It’d be good to think that Labour would start a serious clampdown. I’m hoping they’ll quickly abolish non-dom status, too. It’s an anachronism, apparently first devised to benefit 18thC Caribbean plantation owners.
Either you’re resident, or you’re not. And if you are, you pay U.K. tax.

I know/have known people with MS and not one of them can run, let alone do 3+ miles!

Strange how she's fit enough to run but very fragile/on crutches in court!

Apparently jailed for 2 years, good!

I find it insidious that these stories are peddled at the moment, the rate of disablement benefit fraud is so small as compared to those needing it. The amount of people who are struggling to have their needs met needs highlighting pro rata

Immediately there is an expose of a benefit cheat there are loud cries of condemnation of tax evaders to divert attention. There is a distinction between tax evaders and benefit frauds although both are cheats.
Tax evasion is illegal, and these people are dishonest, but they have worked first to earn money and possibly provided employment for many others.

Benefit frauds are people with no intention of working, ever, and their intention is to avoid legitimate paid employment, ie work.

So nobody is bothered that fraudsters are ripping off the system and people who genuinely qualify for benefits might not be getting what they need?

Nobody has any ideas on how the system could be made secure either?

For once I cannot say "change your reading matter" as it was covered on the BBC website which is where I read it. I expect the gutter press will jump on it of course in great detail. But hey that's what they do.

All I can say us that if these people find it all so easy, they could have a side job helping out those of in genuine need, who find it totally demeaning, dehumanising, exhausting and frightening and difficult.

Germanshepherdsmum

Biglouis is talking about tax avoidance, which is entirely legal. How many times does the difference between avoidance and evasion have to be explained?

I meant cheating the benefit system and tax evasion.

Germanshepherdsmum

Tax avoidance is not cheating. Do you have ISAs? That’s tax avoidance.

I know.

But tax evasion is cheating.

Tax avoidance is not cheating. Do you have ISAs? That’s tax avoidance.

.
There's a difference between 'Tax Avoidance' and 'Tax Evasion'.

I do whatever I can to reduce my tax at do most people and take advantage of Government schemes that allow me to do so.

I have a friend who absolutely sneers at me if she becomes aware that I've bought something from Amazon (which I do - a lot!). Quote - "No way would I buy anything from those b******s until they pay proper tax in the UK". I

I've repeatedly explanned that they aren't doing anything illegal and if she doesn't like it she should campaign for a change in the Law. But she won't of course as (a) she likes moaning and camplaining, and (b) as my Great Aunt Lil would have said, 'she's all mouth and no trousers'!!

I was ready with information details re off-shore accounts, Family Trust set-ups and a Family Charity if I won last Tuesdays Euro lottery.

I didn't win! But if I ever do. I would be immediately looking at ways to legally and ethically limit my tax liabilities.

..

It's not a case of either or.

It's all cheating.

Biglouis is talking about tax avoidance, which is entirely legal. How many times does the difference between avoidance and evasion have to be explained?

biglouis

Because people on benefit are an easy mark and "low hanging fruit". Whereas the big corporations and the super rich with their hedge funds and off shore accounts have clever lawyers and tax accountants. Thats why they are not paying their share of tax.

Maybe start another thread biglouis.🙂

VioletSky

It does upset me that people do this, I work and live in pain every day, some days all I can do is work and nothing for quality of life afterwards due to pain and exhaustion

I don't know how people do this and face the world... I would feel terrible

I have met many people like you and I really feel for you. Like you, I don’t know how people who take money from genuinely needy people can live with themselves.

Greyisnotmycolour

Criminals operate everywhere. In 2023 £2.3 billion was lost to scams in the UK. The state will get scammed as will individual citizens, it's a fact of life. Some criminals will claim benefits as their preferred crime, it does not mean all benefit claimants are criminals. Many disabled people feel like they are treated like criminals when trying to make legitimate claims.

Nobody has suggested that and as the OP I certainly did not.🙂

MaizieD

I think it's time the OP changed her reading matter.

There have been countless TV programmes about this too. It has been going on for years with no sign of improvement.

A few years back I tried to help a very elderly lady who had a middle aged Down’s syndrome daughter. They were getting very little in the way of help. If anybody deserved help they did. We had to fill in lots of forms and provide lots of evidence so I am questioning how it seems so easy to get round the system and claim benefits you are not entitled to.

That was answering Luckygirl3.

An interesting read, Wyllow3, but that report was written in 2008. Things seemed bad then but sound a lot worse now.

You'd have to read a different newspaper.

Criminals operate everywhere. In 2023 £2.3 billion was lost to scams in the UK. The state will get scammed as will individual citizens, it's a fact of life. Some criminals will claim benefits as their preferred crime, it does not mean all benefit claimants are criminals. Many disabled people feel like they are treated like criminals when trying to make legitimate claims.

Can someone please start a thread about decent people honestly claiming benefits? Ah, no .... that would be difficult because we do not hear about them and there are so many of them that they are not newsworthy.

I think it's time the OP changed her reading matter.

Worth reading this in terms of delivery of the system, which is overloaded and struggling - end result, people in need don't get help, and cheating possible.

www.jrf.org.uk/problems-in-the-delivery-of-benefits-tax-credits-and-employment-services

Because people on benefit are an easy mark and "low hanging fruit". Whereas the big corporations and the super rich with their hedge funds and off shore accounts have clever lawyers and tax accountants. Thats why they are not paying their share of tax.