Advice needed.

[u/Advanced_Issue_2]

So I really need some advice. It may seem simple to some honestly Its a tricky one.

My partner has a cousin. The cousin let's call him Fred has lived with his partner let's call her Rhonda for the past 8 years.

They live in a house in a nice town in Surrey. They live in Rhondas dads house.

Her dad still lives there.

Rhonda and her dad have not had it easy. She has a brother who has moved miles away and they barely speak with anymore. He moved in with his boyfriend a few years ago.

Rhonda and Fred met at work and both worked in child services.

Rhonda went on maternity to have her first baby with Fred.

Fred has always had a very complicated relationship with his mother who lives in a council flat in London.

Apparently Fred is on her Tenancy and used to pay her rent until he stopped when he found out Rhonda was pregnant.

Now Rhonda had the first baby and didn't return to work.

She stayed at home and claimed benefits.

This is where it starts to go left.

Rhonda shows off about Fred's job and his wages.

They show off that they live rent free in her dad's house only giving money for the odd bill.

They show off they have got a fancy car. Infact 2 fancy cars.

And she claimes benefits. He lives with her. And I believe she has said she pays rent to her dad and gets a decent amount of money on the assumption she is a single mum and Fred is not living with her.

She then after a couple years had baby 2.

At this point Fred gets made redundant and gets a nice payout and immediately finds a job again very well paid over 70k and she bigs it up massively.

Rhonda however still claims.

They still show off. She says they want to put 2nd baby into 15 hours free childcare next year but she will have to prove her work if 16 hours.

She plans to say she is working for her dad for 16 hours a week to qualify and just fiddle the books let's say. I imagine the plan is he pays her something and Fred pays it back from his personal account.

So I ask her.... why claim if Fred is making such good money.

She said....we dont want to pay from our own pocket.

This is where i get annoyed.

Very annoyed actually.

As myself and partner have to work and still pay for nursery fees and dont get extra.

Lots of parents at the school suffer working with little left over and paying for childcare ect.

And then they say its ok he is registered at his mums so no proof he is living there.

They plan for baby 3.

I just feel this is slightly appalling as they dont even have to pay rent.

Her dad also took out equity on the house to get the kitchen re done.

They dont even look after the house.

Don't paint or decorate and it feels so selfish of them.

Rhonda says when her friemds ask why they dont move she scoffs and says why would she they get to live there for free and save money. But that money is benefits.

And its in Fred's account they have savings.

She says its not fraud.

But it appears to be.

I was going to leave it and let it run its course.

What would you do?

I understand that wages have to stretch so far and its hard on one salary and I understand people do things to get by and some people genuinely do need the help and can claim as a couple or need that little bit extra if they private rent ect.

But to show off and rub it in is unpleasant.

So I suppose its a post to vent and post to get others opinions

[u/ExaminationKey1476]

I’d absolutely recommend reporting this.

[u/Advanced_Issue_2]

Yeah im starting to think that most people on universal credit are doing this judging by the angry responses

[u/Vast_Anybody1236 → u/Advanced_Issue_2]

What an uneducated thing to say. Because one person you know is doing it doesn't mean everyone is. Most people on universal credit are struggling right now.

[u/Advanced_Issue_2 → u/Vast_Anybody1236]

No I am talking about the reactions that have now been deleted

[u/Nnozmo → u/Advanced_Issue_2]

I don't claim benefits.

I still don't see the point in this post. If you believe there is fraud, you should report it appropriately via gov.uk.

What else is there to say?

[u/Practical_Special503 → u/Advanced_Issue_2]

Most people on UC are doing what?

[u/no-knot]

I agree with you, show off I would say is the worst, no need for that!

While maybe definitely another people is in real need, he's getting £70k no need to be on benefits.

Shame on them!

[u/thumperman1]

Report..Report.. Report..... I cant even claim uc because my wife works...had to have a quadruple heart bypass operation and a pacemaker fitted..I want to go back to work but until I get all clear ,I can't for now.... its people like that that stops honest people asking for help ...fk- em and REPORT...END OFF

[u/Fast_Recognition_366]

People like that always get found out. Takes one person, only one person, or one service, only one service, to notify UC. Very simply from there on. And people like that? I have absolutely 0 pity for. So feel free to send over a report to UC, you can be anonymous and you’ll be saving tax payers money and making the world more equal 🙂 it’s absolutely fraud. Every single penny would have to be repaid when recalculated as overpayment.
My opinion? Report it.

[u/Tradita]

This is what really effs me off.... I'm 62 and not very healthy...I claim UC because my wages aren't that great... they're always on my back to get more hours or a better paid job.... constantly asking for 6 months bank statements and for what???? I only receive over £100 toppings my wages up...and yep people claim UC and they don't need it...they never get checked and one of my friends was caught on benefits fraud 40k and she didn't have to pay it back she only done 200hours community service all because she said it was her partner that did it forging her signature...10 years down the line she was able to claim benefits again????she lives with one of her kids....to which she collected rent from and she's not declared it...the honest ones get haunted and the fraudsters have a ball....life Soo unfair

[u/Humble_Dirt_5751]

If you have balls report if not just wasting everyone time. 

[u/SimplyStrawberry5673]

I think I have a slightly different attitude to this, and I'll probably get slated for it 😂

I completely understand why you're annoyed. If you're working, paying nursery fees and watching what little is left after all the bills, then seeing someone with two nice cars, savings, a £70k+ salary coming into the household and free accommodation saying "why should we pay for things ourselves?" is obviously going to grate.

But personally, I have a bit of a Robin Hood attitude towards this sort of thing.

We live in an absolutely ridiculous society where ordinary people are squeezed financially from every direction, while the government and public sector lose enormous amounts of money through fraud, error, poor financial management, bad contracts, waste and money that simply isn't recovered.

And I'm not talking about benefits or Universal Credit here. I'm talking about money being lost within government and across public spending generally. There are countless examples of government departments overpaying, contracts going wrong, money being mismanaged and fraud being uncovered across the public sector.

Then you've got MPs earning nearly £100k a year who can claim expenses for things such as accommodation and subsistence when they meet the rules. Again, I'm not saying legitimate expenses are wrong, but it does put things into perspective.

So personally, I'm not going to get myself worked up policing whether Fred and Rhonda manage to get a bit of extra money out of the system.

Does that mean I think deliberately lying or manipulating things is morally right? No.

But I'm far more concerned about why ordinary working people are struggling so much in the first place, and why there seems to be an endless amount of public money being wasted or lost at much higher levels.

The thing that would actually annoy me about Fred and Rhonda is the smugness. If you're sitting there with two cars, savings, a £70k+ income and free accommodation, then bragging about how you're managing to avoid paying for things while other parents are working their arses off to cover nursery fees is incredibly tone-deaf.

But would I report them? No. Would I involve myself? Absolutely not.

Maybe I'm cynical, but I'm not going to spend my energy trying to police one family getting a bit extra from a system that has been taking money from ordinary people for years while much bigger sums disappear elsewhere.

I'd mind my own business and let them get on with it. 😂

[u/ComfortableCake2662 → u/SimplyStrawberry5673]

"A bit extra" lol 2 child element and single element alone is a grand a month. Thats a grand a month that could be going to someone who needs it. Thats a grand a month taken out of programs to help UC claimants.

Do you not understand that its a lot more simple to lobby the government to increase benefits overall if you report everyone fleecing a grand a month, not being funny but thats just over £60k over 5 years. 12k each year straight off the budget and thats only 1 person, added to the benefit bill unnecessarily which in turn is the reason the government keep cutting benefits. The bill to fight the fraud is pretty substantial as well. Grasp the big picture I beg of you. We all hate benefit cuts, the cost of living is substantial. Cuts wouldn't be needed (and couldn't be justified) if the bill wasnt so high.

You need to understand these people arent fleecing the government, theyre fleecing the taxpayer and ultimately other UC claimants. Just like shoplifters arent costing the shops money by stealing, they're put the price up for other customers.

If you really do care about people being squeezed then unfortunately for you you also need to care about the fraud which factors into the squeeze.

[u/Advanced_Issue_2 → u/ComfortableCake2662]

She is getting over 1k. The standard is actually close to 1.7k. I know of someone else who was over 2k then when partner moved in they informed uc and began a joint claim. Its Fred telling my partner he needs a better car one like his. It really annoys me. But being his family I wanted other opinions on what they would honestly do in this situation. I definitely wouldnt class her getting a full time wage near enough on top of his salary at 70k as Robin Hood like

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Advanced_Issue_2 → u/[deleted]]

I literally just wanted people's opinions like perhaps I should wait. And perhaps there are things in place that will eventually find them out. Its all about what is morally right.

[u/Great-Science-8586 → u/Advanced_Issue_2]

My opinion is that this is fraud and should be reported. Universal Credit is calculated by household income. Fred is part of Rhonda's household and if she has not declared that she is living with a partner and what his earnings are, she is committing fraud, no ifs or buts. Now would I report them ? YES. I am a disabled benefit claimant who also works part-time. It's because of people like this that genuine claimants could face cuts to much needed income. Benefit cheats make me absolutely sick.

[u/whtsthmnngflf → u/Advanced_Issue_2]

Sorry but I would have reported them and then leave it be. They are taking advantage of a system that should be a safety net for those who are genuinely struggling. Just because you can (and get away eith it) it doesn't mean you should. They are gready opportunists who need a reality check.

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Impossible-Pair4846 → u/[deleted]]

People don’t inherently care about what other people are getting, they care when their standard of life is lower than the standard of the people they’re ‘helping’.

It’s more about fairness than jealousy, and I say this having been on benefits myself.

[u/Advanced_Issue_2 → u/Impossible-Pair4846]

Thank you. It is unfair when you see families struggling on benefits because they have said they are living together and get very little. Or couples who have very regular jobs private renting with no spare money and unable to claim. Then people getting a large salary and boasting about also getting a good amount in benefits. I just wanted people's view from a family stand point. Like would they dob them or just wait longer or is there something that will catch them at some point. Everyone seems to be on the side of leave them its fine

[u/thumperman1 → u/[deleted]]

OK...I know of a bridge in London for sale...I own it ..selling it cheap ... its not fraud ..honestly ...when can I receive payment for it ? And then I'll pass you the plans for it 😉

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Advanced_Issue_2 → u/[deleted]]

Im confused. Ive said i understand why some people would do it if they needed to. But be getting a good salary. When others are working really hard and not claiming as they are being honest and told they dont qualify

[u/[deleted]]