No sleep and spitting feathers

Your husband may not have known exactly what his daughter had done till now,because perhaps hes been giving her the allowance to help her out believing she needed it?Believing her not have benefits,But NOW he too knows the truth,discuss it with him first.then ask what hes going to do.Take it from there.

your conscience is bothering you OP, Clearly it will bother you for eternity. Clear your conscience by reporting it as above, then at least you can live your life in peace.

I would be very upset if it was my husband just shrugging his shoulders, not a man to trust.

Income from family is completely disregarded by DWP. I’ve just checked that this is still the case. The son living with her is the fraudulent aspect.

Wouldn't she be entitled to contribution-based benefit for 6 months after finishing her job?
Meaning that her finances are not taken into account for that, provided she has paid enough NI contributions.

Clearly she has been defrauding council tax, tho, and probably means to try to defraud the benefits system.

I suggest you speak to your husband about how he will be helping her to do that, if he continues to give her an allowance.

I didn't know that, pensionpat.

You have my sympathy, OP. I hate this kind of cheating too. I also hate the fact that sd’s so comfortable with the deception she’s happy to tell you about it because in her mind, what’s she’s doing isn’t remotely wrong.

The same level of manipulation goes on in Education- teachers going off ‘sick’ on full salary when nothing’s wrong - starting up a new business in one case - and I’ve seen this happen multiple times yet people are still up in arms about funding cuts, despite the vast amounts of money wasted by unscrupulous staff- but that’s another thread altogether.

As someone else said, talk to your DH and make it clear you don’t condone her methods and don’t want to hear any more, but don’t you be the one to report it. Hopefully karma will catch up with her.

It's people like her cheating the system that screws it up for the genuine claimant. They are beyond the pale.
But I wouldn't take it any further if I were you as that could cause problems between you and your partner. If she talks to you again about it, tell her you don't want to know.

I defend the father's attitude. There must be nothing worse than having a dad who is a policeman and brings his work home (ie starts policing his own family). Having said that, no I don't approve of benefit fraud one little bit - it just makes life tougher for those who really need it and have to jump through hoops to prove their need. But I'd stay out of it. Starting a confrontation will only end badly for you.

If the scroungers and cheats were prevented from claiming, how much better life could be for those who really do need help. We had neighbours years ago who were out for anything they could get 'free'; on one occasion he reported sick to his employer, and was paid, worked for someone else for his two sickness weeks and was paid, and also claimed sickness benefit. His wife told a group of neighbours this, full of pride for his inventiveness. The neighbour who relayed this tale to me said 'he is going to get his come uppance very soon - he's been reported'. I gather he was lucky to keep his job.

Lots of scroungers around......Amazon, Starbucks, cheating/lying expense claiming MP's

Be careful who you tell. My sister was dobbed in for something similar, she thought it was me ( it wasn't) and she and her family have been awkward with me since. It was actually my other sister and as they dont know, everything is great with them. I did try to tell them but they still believed it was me. Their decision and as I know the truth it is their problem not mine. It bothers me at times but they need each other more than I need them. Only dobb if you can accept the circumstances.

I think she is a disgrace. Like you, I too am fuming. Bottom line she does not need to take benefits. Greed is the driving force here. Buying luxuries. Husband what’s gone wrong with you? Please do the right thing.
It’s people like her who have caused stringent, some unfair, cuts in the benefits system and there are genuine people who are losing out now.
Give it a while and then report her. It’s the right thing to do, but regretfully you need to protect yourself. They have ways of protecting you eg phoney ‘standard regular audit procedures’.
Saddest thing is you’re having to go through all this. You sound honest, caring and good. I wish you well.

I would be more annoyed with a husband who colluded with this by continuing with an allowance after knowing what she was up to. Maybe he thinks she won't keep in touch if he doesn't keep paying it. It does seem as if he has never taught her about consequences.
I think that I would report it because of the scale of it but there will be blowback for doing that so I can't be absolutely sure that I would. People get in trouble for doing things by accident and yet this level of calculation has no consequences.
I gave a statement about my neighbour (I was asked by DWP, who had noticed a discrepency themselves) and I wasn't sorry when he then illegally sublet the flat and moved away as it can be dangerous. He had been claiming benefits as a single parent but they noticed that he wasn't claiming child benefit (which apparently has an almost 100% take up). His girlfriend had moved to France with their child the year before.
The worst of this is that it plays into the exaggerated idea that many people have of the level of fraud in the system.

I agree with others in its best for family harmony not to inform on her. If she mentions it again just say you are sorry but you do not think it is right and would rather not discuss it. If you need to vent come on here there is always someone to listen and you can get it out of your system.

You can blow the whistle on benefit scroungers anonymously. Would be no more than she deserves.

This is a very difficult one. I personally have shopped my brother to the police recently as he stole £2000 from my mothers bank account just before and after she died. He abused his power of attorney and basically stole from me too.
I am of course ostracized by my extended family who felt that it was perfectly OK to do this, but I felt that I had a duty to my late mother to protect her interests and would not wish to be abetting the situation. My brother will be taken to task and hopefully will learn a thing or two about respect and decency.
I do not think that people should get away with it.
I have to live with what I did but at least I can hold my head up high with a clear conscience and hope that my brother will learn from this.

I have reported a number of frauds like this over the years when I worked in charities and social housing. It was generally people working cash in hand alongside claiming and it felt bad making reports as I knew that the cash-in-hand work really was supplementing the terrible, barely subsistence benefit system.
I can honestly say only one was ever investigated.
Even when they aren’t family, if you have a genuine connection with the people involved it it really hard to do.

I suggest you wait till she’s gone and speak to your husband about it. It’s his daughter after all.
Good luck.

I can not believe you lot !
Everyone does it
Keep out of it
This is a serious crime of fraud for which she could go to prison
What the hell is the matter with you
How will you feel then ...

Nemosmum it's the husband/father who is the ex Superintendent not the step daughter.

endlessstrife yes I know the father was aware of the fraud but he had not discussed it with his wife the OP.

It's a very difficult situation to be in Livlass and I sympathise with you. I think her father should deal with this as he sees fit and you should not be drawn into it any further.

I see no or with her father helping her out. He should have involved you in the decision, IMO, but otherwise it’s what parents do if their children are in need. Charity begins at home. It should make no difference to her claim, which should be based on the NI contributions she has made over the years.

The council tax reduction is different, but a relatively small amount (isn’t is something like 20% off?). She should not be claiming this, but maybe her son is just staying there temporarily? If not, she will be found out sooner or later, without you telling anyone.

If you do decide to report her, at least give her enough notice to get her house in order? She could get a criminal record, and this could damage your relationship with both your step-daughter and your husband irreparably. Is it worth that risk?

No problem with. I wish there was an edit function on here, if only for a minute or two after posting!

A very difficult situation for you to be in! What your step daughter should realise, when she does get found out she will have to pay it all back and probably get a hefty fine!

She is committing an offence, this is fraud and quite how she sleeps at night I do not know!

Personally, I would far sooner have a clear conscience than a criminal record!

I would leave it for a while but report it she is committing fraud and theft driven by her greed .The allowance from her father is another matter whatever he is giving her should be stopped unless you are in agreement with it

I appreciate your feelings as I too know a person
thankfully not related who is also 'milking ' the system.
At some time ,and am sure you are not the only one who knows of this deceit, fate will take over as for this kind of person enough is never enough and she will be found out.

She won't go to prison, she'll be asked to pay it back or pay a set fine.