Benefits cheats, do you know one?

That is very true, MissA. I don't think many people appreciate that. There still seems to be that mentality among some people (including some posters here, it would seem) that being on benefits automatically equates to being a scrounger, and even if you do manage to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, losing access to the type of things you mention can make life very very difficult indeed.

No, I mean things like stopping free school meals, or having to pay childcare.
When you're on a tiny income, the smallest thing can make a huge difference.

The cost of fares was often an issue, plus I worked in care, so finding and paying someone to sit with my girl until a 10pm finish was hard.

Do you mean you were worse off because you had to pay income tax and NI?

I lost count over the years of how many times it's been made known that going to work will finally pay, only to find it doesn't, as they take income back another way.

Each time left me in a mess, financially, and took ages to clear.

I've always strongly felt that if only the help available worked,then some people wouldnt be tempted into cash in hand arrangements.

If there are a couple in a household and only one is in employment but their income is sufficient to pay all the bills and support the unemployed partner, why on earth should the taxpayer give the unemployed person money?

Whether I'd report someone depends very much on the circumstances.

Definitely I wouldnt report someone who was living with/married to someone else taking the benefit they'd get if they lived on their own. I don't see why someone should be penalised for their marital status (either way). Though I was always single myself - but I was very conscious the State would expect me to be financially dependant on my husband if I'd had one during those times I was unemployed and it was one of the reasons I never got married/lived with anyone - as I didnt see why the State should expect me to be dependant on someone else just because I was unemployed. I was and am an independent person and don't see it as right that independant people should get forced into being financially dependant on someone else (this is not the Victorian Age - women living at their husbands expense!).

There's also an element of being expected to apply for jobs with noticeably worse pay/conditions than one has trained for/is used to and that was an issue during those periods of unemployment. The forms latterly asked you things like how far you'd travel for work/what hours and days you'd be prepared to work etc - and that was an issue for a 9am-5pm Monday-Friday low-paid/live in a city and so walk to work person - because of knowing the answer they expected was "Would be prepared to spend hours a day travelling to work/take any type of work/work antisocial hours/etc".

On the other hand - I definitely disagree with people that expect to be unemployed for year after year and earn all sorts of bits of income "unofficially" - and I have urged someone to report the person they knew that did this (and they did). I have known of a "permanently unemployed - by choice" person that did/probably still does earning quite a bit of money on top of their dole money and tried to get the money via money laundering(!) at someone else's risk!!!! and last I knew is being paid the money in bitcoins instead of normal currency (ie on top of his dole money).

It certainly isn't easy to navigate the system. People such as M0nica and my sister who works/volunteers for CAB are doing a very important job.

I often get emails telling me to apply for grants for home improvements, solar panels etc but as soon as I start the form I realise I don't qualify.
I wonder who does!

Loads of tradies work cash in hand to avoid tax. They usually charge less if you pay cash. We no longer carry cash with us so , bad luck, we have to pay them by bank transfer these days and pay the full amount. I think more and more this will be happening because most of us just don’t have cash now, only cards.

When I was working I met several people who were not only 'at it' themselves but sharing top tips with others how to work the system. They were infuriating but more upsetting to me were the valiant souls living in difficult situations and supporting others and who absolutely refused to apply for financial help. I still worry about them.

Freya5

Let's not forget the incompetency of DWP, still paying out pensions to people who have died, and the cheats who are still pocketing their ill gotten gains. Can't the people in that dept read, or check the death registrations.

Tell us once a service that lets you report a death to lots of government depts used here in Scotland.

Freya5

Let's not forget the incompetency of DWP, still paying out pensions to people who have died, and the cheats who are still pocketing their ill gotten gains. Can't the people in that dept read, or check the death registrations.

Find that incredible. When my dad died mum was on the phone morning after to the pension department, but she was told they needed death certificate.

And?
I'm quite at liberty to be offended.i don't need anyone here's permission.

Not offensive at all. We know there are families with several generations who have never worked.

Yes, because only others peoples' parents ever worked.

Bloody offensive.

I know of someone who is a full time teacher but is on DLA because they had MH episode 20 yrs ago & still on DLA to this day.
I know someone else who had a MH episode, ended up in hospital for a few months, they relied on DLA but as soon as they were well enough to get back to work, they came off DLA.
Just find the first case unbelievable- don’t they have to have check up, I asked, they have never had a medical.

No I have never claimed benefits and don’t know of anyone who has or does claim anything. We took example from our parents to work hard to provide for ourselves so don’t know any different.
I am sure there are people who really do need help and wouldn’t abuse the system. However after seeing how people behaved in shops in lockdown nothing surprises me.

M0nica

Sago The lady you mention was not sub-letting her council flat, she had taken in a lodger, and legally that is substantially different.

Only last week a homeless woman allocated a council flat, which she let out a few months later when she moved in with a new partner was prosecuted and either imprisoned of fined substantially.

It was not a council flat and sub letting a room could lose her the flat.

It is written into her contract.

Freya5

Let's not forget the incompetency of DWP, still paying out pensions to people who have died, and the cheats who are still pocketing their ill gotten gains. Can't the people in that dept read, or check the death registrations.

The DWP surely rely on being told that someone receiving a pension or benefits has died. I very much doubt they scan all the death registrations, nor would I expect them to.

Charleygirl5

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.

I had to complete the AA forms for my inlaws and although I am very used to dealing with official paperwork, they were a nightmare to complete. I could easily understand why some people would just give up and not bother trying to claim.

Sago The lady you mention was not sub-letting her council flat, she had taken in a lodger, and legally that is substantially different.

Only last week a homeless woman allocated a council flat, which she let out a few months later when she moved in with a new partner was prosecuted and either imprisoned of fined substantially.

Not that I know of, might well do though

Let's not forget the incompetency of DWP, still paying out pensions to people who have died, and the cheats who are still pocketing their ill gotten gains. Can't the people in that dept read, or check the death registrations.

Witzend

Whenever anyone on MN says they know for certain that someone is on the fiddle, most of the replies say MYOB, keep your nose out, what’s it to you? etc.

I often wonder whether those who are evidently happy about people sponging off the taxpayer, are on the fiddle themselves.

I have thought the same.

I know someone with a housing association flat in London who has been on benefits for decades.

She works cash in hand and lets a room in her flat despite it being in the contract she cannot sub let.

She has a lovely lifestyle and plenty of money, when she was once banging on about tax avoidance to me ( she considers me a capitalist ***) and I brought up the matter of her fraud, she exclaimed “well you try living on benefits”!

Astonishing.

Whenever anyone on MN says they know for certain that someone is on the fiddle, most of the replies say MYOB, keep your nose out, what’s it to you? etc.

I often wonder whether those who are evidently happy about people sponging off the taxpayer, are on the fiddle themselves.

No I don’t, in fact I have known very few on benefits, but those I have known probably did not claim everything they were due.

I reckon 99% (probably a bit less but it is a guess) of people never ever claim anything in their lives. I have received child benefit and now a pension (which is not - however much some politicians call it - a benefit)