Why does nothing ever get done? (Benefit Fraud)

[hudsonhicks]

I know a woman that has been fraudulently claiming tax credits using her mothers house for 3 years now. I have reported her about 10 different occasions during these past years as has another friend of mine..

 

Absolutely NOTHING gets done.

 

She lives 200 miles south in a cottage with her working boyfriend and three children. With the Tax Credits and the Child benefit money She's pulling in close to £900 a month.

 

Before the predictable "you're mistaken" replies come in i'd just like to emphasize the fact that i KNOW without a shadow of a doubt. I have a mutual friend who has also reported her, and she's also tried to get her to help her with more benefit fraud - Asked to falsely "rent" her house and split the housing benefit money.

 

I can only imagine how many other people out there are doing this and getting away with it. Apparently they only investigate 5% of fraud reports - I can believe it!!

If the DWP/HMRC employed more people to combat this, i'm certain they'd make massive savings from lost money and fines etc..

 

Anything else i can do? Write to MP maybe? I'm so annoyed seeing her holiday pictures from Jamaica on facebook

[SabreSheep]

I know a woman that has been fraudulently claiming tax credits using her mothers house for 3 years now. I have reported her about 10 different occasions during these past years as has another friend of mine..

 

Absolutely NOTHING gets done.

 

Nothing that your aware of. You will not be privvy to anythign happenign behind the scenes.

 

She lives 200 miles south in a cottage with her working boyfriend and three children. With the Tax Credits and the Child benefit money She's pulling in close to £900 a month.

 

How do you know what shes pulling in?

 

Before the predictable "you're mistaken" replies come in i'd just like to emphasize the fact that i KNOW without a shadow of a doubt. I have a mutual friend who has also reported her, and she's also tried to get her to help her with more benefit fraud - Asked to falsely "rent" her house and split the housing benefit money.

 

I guess we have only your word to go on here. Even from your point of view this is Hearsay and not evidence.

 

I can only imagine how many other people out there are doing this and getting away with it. Apparently they only investigate 5% of fraud reports - I can believe it!!

If the DWP/HMRC employed more people to combat this, i'm certain they'd make massive savings from lost money and fines etc..

 

How much money do you think is actually lost through benefit fraud?

 

HOW do you know they only investigate 5%

 

Anything else i can do? Write to MP maybe? I'm so annoyed seeing her holiday pictures from Jamaica on facebook

 

 

Im sorry this sounds like a rant trying to stir up hatred against benefit claiments. There is nothing factual presented here, just a daily mail steriotype of a case.

 

IF this is genuine then sure write to your mp.

 

IF this person is really claiming benefit fraud then I hope the authorities catch up with them.

[hudsonhicks]

Im sorry this sounds like a rant trying to stir up hatred against benefit claiments. There is nothing factual presented here, just a daily mail steriotype of a case.

 

IF this is genuine then sure write to your mp.

 

IF this person is really claiming benefit fraud then I hope the authorities catch up with them.

 

How do i know?

 

She's told me last year.

 

She's told my friend.

 

She's logged into her online banking on my friends phone and he's seen the £165 tax credits weekly payment.

 

My friend (reluctantly) picks up her benefit mail from her mums house as she lives 200 miles away

[tomtom256]

Perhaps the claim is correct based on her relationship and income and she is winding you up.

 

Does your "friend" open the alleged benefit mail in order to confirm the facts as you see them?

 

If the claim is correct perhaps thats why nothing is done by the HMRC.

 

DWP don't adminster tax credits or child benefit, but this is why the Single Fraud Investigation Service is currently going live.

[Conniff]

Keep this thread civil. Assistance on how to further report abuse of the system has been asked for not verbal abuse from other members.

[Conniff]

Have you tried reporting it here - https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/benefitfraud/

[Lapsed Workaholic]

This could be another example of the DWP’s ieptitude. You ask what else you can do. Perhaps you could use the DWP’s own grievance procedures, citing their Code of Practice and pointing out your attempts at reversing the consequences of their maladministration.

It may also be advisable to warn your friend who might, if what you say is true,be complicit in facilitating this fraud, if such it is.

[tomtom256]

DWP do not administer tax credits or child benefit.

 

HMRC administer both so it's them the complaint needs raising with. As far as I know HMRC haven't transferred to SFIS yet and as such would still investigate tax credit/child benefit only fraud.

 

If the person claiming tax credits and child benefit are also in receipt of a passported benefit then the DWP would investigate on HMRC's behalf.

[Shoelover]

It could be that they are entitled to £165 a week in tax credits - and that's why no action has been taken. It may be that there is a current investigation.

 

I don't know what percentage of reports HMRC investigate, but I know that DWP Investigate much much more than 5%. Where did you get the figure from?

[hudsonhicks]

Can people not just accept what i said at face value. I don't want to go into more details to "prove" it to you guys because i dont need to

 

I wouldn't even bother reporting unless i was 100%

 

I suspect the government doesn't really give a toss except to make a few token convictions that make the local newspaper.

 

 

I'll phone the HMRC tax credit line tomorrow.

[tomtom256]

Can people not just accept what i said at face value. I don't want to go into more details to "prove" it to you guys because i dont need to

 

I wouldn't even bother reporting unless i was 100%

 

I suspect the government doesn't really give a toss except to make a few token convictions that make the local newspaper.

 

 

I'll phone the HMRC tax credit line tomorrow.

 

Yes we can take it at face value.

 

However from a fraud investigators view point we get allegations like this all the time and when we look at the claim it's correct. We even have people ring back with further information or to report them again a few months later.

 

We cannot tell the person that the claim is correct, that we have investigated or if the person being reported is even claiming benefits, so it often looks like nothing is done.

 

So to flip it on it's head, maybe take it a face value that what she has told you is pure lies to annoy you.

 

If it is true keep ringing HMRC and reporting it, sooner or later they may action it, although they do not have many criminal investigators and mainly go down a compliance route. If you feel they aren't listening or taking action make a formal complaint to them or get your MP involved.

[Conniff]

You are inferring that you are an investigator tomtom ??

[tomtom256]

Yes I am, which is why sometimes my posts can be slightly harsh. However i try to help were I can.

 

We get this type complaint all the time, however out of say 10 allegations that are made only between 5 -6 are worth looking at owing to incorrectness and some are just plain malicious. Various agencies also receive 100's of reports of suspected fraud weekly per region and not all can be looked at. They will get risk scored based on information obtained within the reports and those with the best evidence i.e. partner name, employer name etc will get looked over the reports that just Z is working.

 

Tax credits is our biggest bug bear though, as we can't even get HMRC to do anything when we refer cases to them that are on a plate or offer to take the offences for them. This is covered under SFIS though so the issue will slowly be resolved.

 

So I do feel for the OP, but I also see it from the claimants view were sometimes the allegations is just purely malicious. I had a case that would get reported every few months, the claim was correct, however the same person constantly kept ringing stating nothing had been done and they were still on benefits etc. I wanted to say that it had been looked at and all was ok, but from a DPA view point we can't so just have to say that it would be logged again on the system and looked at if required.

 

Maybe she is on the fiddle and maybe the evidence doesn't prove she is and that is why nothing has been done. Remember investigators have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt for a criminal case and probability for a compliance case. Without sufficient evidence you can't get either decision.

 

I am by no way sticking up for them, but there are a lot of hoops to jump through in order to resovle a case.

[Shoelover]

Like Tom, i'm a benefit investigator also & agree with every word Tom has written.