***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

[bluebottle]

Re: ***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

You do get idiots who give their names to give their allegations credibility. They are the ones who get hammered. It is very dangerous for any investigator to act upon an anonymous allegation. I've seen what happens. Very messy.

[Inca]

Re: ***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

BB have you not seen the 'scrounger catching' adverts on TV? The adverts that openly encourage anonymous callers to ring a particular number,,,totally and utterly anonymously and I think it's even a freefone number (might be wrong on that bit) but the adverts definitely exist.

[labman]

Re: ***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

Read the last line:

https://www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud

This confirms the telephone number is free, and also that it can be done anonymously:

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/reporting-benefit-theft

[labman]

Re: ***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

You do get idiots who give their names to give their allegations credibility. They are the ones who get hammered. It is very dangerous for any investigator to act upon an anonymous allegation. I've seen what happens. Very messy.

I've got to disagree again BB. Firstly people who give their names are not to be classed as idiots. It is these 'idiots' who could save the country millions. Secondly, they have to have good reason to investigate alleged benefit theft, that is all. People are told clearly they can report it anonymously as per my previous post.

I honestly think you've got this one wrong. I've seen a fair few cases locally (benefit theft is very much alive and kicking in my village) and the results are always for the better of law abiding citizens.

In 2004-05 (the most recent figures I can find with a very quick Google) the estimated amount lost in benefit theft was £800 million (£800000000) - if it's not reported by idiots or anonymously, then few would get caught. The DWP rely on information handed to them for the majority of their prosecutions.

[enquirer]

Re: ***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

... but the interviewer kept saying, but his post is going to your house.

This proves nothing. If I rent a mail drop, does that prove I'm living there? Of course not.

Pursuing fraud is one thing, but when they behave like this, they lose the moral high ground, particularly when there are so many flagrant frauds that mysteriously remain uninvestigated.

[labman]

Re: ***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

I don't disagree with you, but try telling the DWP that at times. My household is living proof they can and do make gross assumptions.

[Inca]

Re: ***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

As long as the 'mail drop' you are renting isn't in receipt of housing/ctax benefit etc then No,,it holds no interest to them,,if however the 'mail drop' IS in receipt of said benefits then yes,it will be.

[enquirer]

Re: ***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

And let us not forget DWP staff who have themselves been convicted of benefit fraud, but who have been allowed to remain in the job!

[bluebottle]

Re: ***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

I have no problem with people reporting genuine cases of benefit fraud, but, as said previously, there are problems with encouraging people to report things anonymously. The first problem is that of those who are acting maliciously and the second is when you try to take a case further and the CPS ask where the information came from. That is when a case can get very messy, because a court will nearly always ask the prosecution to identify the source of the information. In my experience, unless there are very good reasons for doing so, the identity of witnesses are rarely withheld.

Also, don't forget that politicians come up with these sort of ideas, but the problem is that they are not thought through first before being implemented.

[labman]

Re: ***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

There have always been, and always will be cases of malicious reporting, not only of benefit theft, but crimes involving the police etc... It is the government and DWP themselves who are encouraging anonimity to make it easier for law abiding citizens to 'do the right thing' without fear of reprisal. The source is actually rarely revealed as the DWP are very thorough in investigations which get to court, and it simply is not necessary. Video evidence, DWP plants and so forth make their cases pretty watertight usually.

On the whole though here, we are talking about cases which do not get to court and which are investigated upon and adjudged upon purely by the DWP. That is plain wrong.

Getting back to the original point though, the person who made the report in this case is almost certainly NOT going to get a stiff letter, nor a bill for wasted time - it simply does not work like that.

[Inca]

Re: ***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

I personally wouldn't 'dob' someone in to benefits folk cos it goes against my moral compass to do someone elses (fraud dept) job for them,they should check the right people and not harrass the innocent and ,to be fair,half the flipping time if not more they know the person is innocent but they must be SEEN to be doing something!(tongue in cheek lol)
Anyway,,I'm in danger of just repeating myself on this thread so I respectfully remove myself off here,,that is get off my soapbox and go to bed xxx

[wales01man]

Re: ***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

Im the same as Inca i would not Dob someone in but i woulld not condone benefit fraud good luck to them theres more corruption away from the benefits system that should be combatted although if you defraud anyone individual os=r state you must be prepared to face the penalty if caught and oinvicted

[bluebottle]

Re: ***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

Most benefit fraud is committed by organised gangs and, surprisingly, those who are comfortably or very well-off. The number of what could be regarded as "men and women in the street" who commit benefit fraud is, surprisingly, minute, less than 1%.

[Inca]

Re: ***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

Yep,,I agree there are a lot of 'gangs' involved in benefit fraud,,seen articles and programmes on it. Greed harbours greed and the 'comfortably off' will get away with it if they can (although some are well off because of benefits). 1% BB? can I ask where that percentage comes from please? If it's correct I am surprised cos there seems to be millions of 'Joe Bloggs' in this country.

[labman]

Re: ***URGENT**** False accusation re housing benefits.

I agree with all of that, but I think often you can add specific areas to that list where people live in poverty. In Wales we have a thing called Communities First which helps deprived areas. Many of these are rife with benefit theft, most of it involving swindling housing benefit or working or 'hobbling' as they say here, while claiming benefits. The DWP tend to watch and film people going to and from work for quite a while before acting.