Welfare Fraud - Outcome of investigation..

Fittle · 11-10-2011 12:06pm #1

I know someone who has just been reported for welfare fraud. Man and woman cohabiting in a council house while she was claiming lone parents allowance and him JSA. It seems both SW and the local council were involved as they were shown photos of the investigation by both of these, as proof that the partner was living there for at least the last 18 months (photos of him leaving the home at various times, over the course of 12 months etc), so there was obviously someone keeping a close eye on the house for a long time.

The outcome of the investigation is that she has to fill in a form for the Council, including his name as occupier in the home. This will increase their rent by approximately 7euro per week going from 23euro, to 30euro.

Her Lone parents allowance has been cut and he has been re-assessed to include her and the child on his JSA claim, so their weekly income has been reduced slightly also (but not by much).

So the final result of this fraud (and many like it) is that they have basically gotten away scot free!! No fines, nobody has been asked to pay a penny back to the State, no nothing!

I don't understand a system that encourages Joe Public to report welfare fraud, spend thousands investigating the fraud, and then does nothing about it when its found out:mad::mad:

PS - I heard this story last week, when the person telling me was gloating that they got away with it..hence my anger at the whole system!

borderlinemeath · 11-10-2011 12:23pm

What you have stated below is indicative of what's going on but this is at the lower end of the fraud scale. Both parties on welfare so both assessed together now rather than separately.

While it is still fraud - I would imagine that the couple in question were probably to afraid to approach welfare with their situation due to the scaremongering out there where "if you tell them they'll take all your benefits away"

If your example had the partner working and bringing an income into the home while all benefits were being paid (lone parents, rent allowance etc) it would have been judged more harshly.

As their both on welfare they probably have nothing - and as the saying goes, you can't take feathers off a frog.

Fittle · 11-10-2011 12:58pm

With respect, the girl got a 3 bedroomed house form the local council because she was on welfare and supposed to be living with her child only, so they have a roof over the head until they drop, with minimal rent, which is alot more that most can say!!

borderlinemeath · 11-10-2011 1:09pm

Fittle wrote: »

With respect, the girl got a 3 bedroomed house form the local council because she was on welfare and supposed to be living with her child only, so they have a roof over the head until they drop, with minimal rent, which is alot more that most can say!!

Not necessarily the case. A friend of mine grew up in a council house with her mother and her brother. Her brother moved out and she got married and moved out, within 6 months the council had moved her mother out of the house where she had lived for 30 odd years. (Dublin by the way).

I agree that while fraud is rife in the system - welfare will protect families and house them accordingly - there's other areas where they have cut down on fraud where it was a lot worse (cross border for example). The culture of doing nixers also is rife although it's a lot more taboo these days.

mp22 · 11-10-2011 2:00pm

Sorry guys/gals this is not the place for this discussion

closed

Welfare Fraud - Outcome of investigation..

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