WHAT do you think of benefit fraud?

Here's a link to the councillor story.

http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/tower_hamlets_councillor_admits_another_case_of_benefit_fraud_1_1172767

I remember a woman I worked with years ago at a council office which dealt with rate rebates and benefits. She was always talking about her husband and daughter who both had good jobs. She was soon to find herself jobless when it transpired that the family was claiming every benefit going!

I have personally, years ago, shopped two persons to the Social Services. One was from Malaysia, getting a council flat, unemployment benefit, council tax paid, children's benefit , you name it. He was working, subletting the flat and claiming benefit for children he didn't have. 't doesn't do any harm if you are wrong, because the person in question will be able to prove their status.

On the other hand, since I was partly disabled, I was looking for part time work (I didn't have an British allowance for my disablement, that came from abroad - so although I'd paid NI for years I only tried to get a job, not an extra allowance since all I got in was about 300 pounds a month).Two job centres refused to put me on the list 'because I was looking for part time work'.
Some time later, I saw an advert in a job centre in yet another town and went in to ask about it. They requested my particulars and informed me I was on the books and I was claiming benefits.
So back to the original job centre which had had all my papers and refused me. No way did I get to the bottom of it. Imo the people at the benefits office were using my details to claim for themselves. So - the corruption is everywhere.

I REMEMBER THERE WAS A CASE WHERE SOMEONE WAS WORKING IN THE BENEFIT FRAUD DEPARTMENT,THEY WERE DEFRAUDING THE SYSTEM THEMSELVES!

Panda wrote:

Badboy wrote:I ALSO READ TODAY THAT GREECE HAS A LOT OF BENEFIT FRAUD.
ABOUT 1500 DEAD PEOPLE ARE CLAIMING PENSIONS.
OVER 1% OF PEOPLE ON ZAKINTHOS ARE SUPPOSEDLY BLIND.
QUITE A LOT OF PEOPLE(400) ON ONE SMALL ISLAND ARE CLAIMING THEY ARE DEPRESSED.
THEY HAVE SAME PROBLEM IN ITALY WHERE DEad pensioners still receive pensions.
also non-disabled people receive disability benefits.

Badboy, this could go on the EC President as well, it"s all part of why these 2 Countries are in trouble.

EVERY CLAIMANT IN GREECE IS TO REGISTER AT A CAB.

A CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLOR FROM HUDDERSFIELD HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF BENEFIT FRAUD.
ISN'T THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY THE ONES GOING ON ABOUT BENEFIT FRAUD?

SLIGHTLY OFF TOPIC,ITS SEEMS THAT THE NEW BENEFIT SYSTEM THEY ARE THINKING OF INTRODUCTING,THE IT SYSTEM APPEAR TO BE UNABLE TO COPE WITH THE NEW SYSTEM,ERRORS MAY WELL INREASE,THEY ARE CONTINING TO PAY CLAIMANTS EVEN AFTER THEY SHOULDN'T PAY THEM.

IT APPEARS THAT PUBLIC EMPLOYEES(COUNCILLERS,OTHER WORKERS)SEEM TO ENGAGE IN A LOT OF BENEFIT FRAUD.

ITS APPEARS THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE COMMITTING BENEFIT FRAUD BECAUSE THEY SEE THE BENEFIT AS AN ENTITLEMENT FOR PAYING TOO MUCH TAX ETC,RIPPING OFF ONE'S FELLOW TAXPAYERS IS SEEN AS ALRIGHT.

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/news/benefits_cheat_who_faked_his_death_jailed

What a scammer!

Not Born Yesterday wrote:http://web.orange.co.uk/article/news/benefits_cheat_who_faked_his_death_jailed

What a scammer!

I SAW THAT ON GOOGLE NEWS,CLAIMED TO BE DEAD,IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT OF THE DARWINS(ANN ETC)

THE DWP/JOBCENTREPLUS CENTRE INGLASGOW DEALING WITH BENEFIT OVERPAYMENT AND FRAUD IS TO CLOSE.

A NURSE WHO OVERDOSED A FRIEND'S BABY WITH INSULIN A FEW YEARS AGO HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF BENEFIT FRAUD.
SHE HAS NOW BEEN STRUCK OFF THE NURSING REGISTER,THEY DECEIDED SHE WAS CRIIMINALLY MINDED,SO SHOULDN'T BE A NURSE.

Badboy wrote:A NURSE WHO OVERDOSED A FRIEND'S BABY WITH INSULIN A FEW YEARS AGO HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF BENEFIT FRAUD.
SHE HAS NOW BEEN STRUCK OFF THE NURSING REGISTER,THEY DECEIDED SHE WAS CRIIMINALLY MINDED,SO SHOULDN'T BE A NURSE.

Yet politicians, otherwise laughingly known as "Honourable Members" have robbed this country blind since time immemorial. Despite being paid exorbitant amounts of money for doing sweet FA most can and have evaded jail time and are still allowed to return to their parliamentary seat and their place at the trough.

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_34407.shtml

Iain Duncan Smith has been visiting the team in Madrid which uncovers benefit fraudIain Duncan Smith, Ana Mato and Ana Botella - Photo EFE


The British Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith, has been visiting the Department of Work and Pensions benefits and healthcare team in Madrid.
He warned Britons living abroad not to break the strict rules on what benefits they can and cannot claim.
People who are pretending to live in the UK so they can collect benefits, but in fact are living overseas cost the British taxpayer 43 million pounds last year. Most of the reports of such benefit fraud came from Spain.

Iain Duncan Smith commented, “We are determined to clamp down on benefit fraud abroad, which cost the British taxpayer around £43 million last year. This money should be going to the people who need it most and not lining the pockets of criminals sunning themselves overseas. The vast majority of British people overseas are law abiding, but fraudulently claiming benefits while living abroad is a crime and we are committed to putting a stop to it.”

He also encouraged Britons to use the dedicated Spanish hotline to report benefit thieves. 900 554 440 or you report a benefit fraud here.

The hotline has resulted in 100 people being sanctioned or prosecuted, and 134 more cases are currently under investigation. 3.1 million pounds in over payments of benefit have been identified and will be reclaimed.

Source – UK in Spain - http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=754530182

Duncan Smith made the most of his visit to Madrid and took the chance to meet with Health Minister, Ana Mato, and the Mayor of Madrid, Ana Botella.

They discussed the response to the crisis with Duncan Smith calling for an end to the culture of ‘unemployment and dependency’, increasing the control on public spending and eliminating ‘the subsidies which don’t resolve problems because in some cases ‘they trap the poor’.

malena stool wrote:

Badboy wrote:A NURSE WHO OVERDOSED A FRIEND'S BABY WITH INSULIN A FEW YEARS AGO HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF BENEFIT FRAUD.
SHE HAS NOW BEEN STRUCK OFF THE NURSING REGISTER,THEY DECEIDED SHE WAS CRIIMINALLY MINDED,SO SHOULDN'T BE A NURSE.

Yet politicians, otherwise laughingly known as "Honourable Members" have robbed this country blind since time immemorial. Despite being paid exorbitant amounts of money for doing sweet FA most can and have evaded jail time and are still allowed to return to their parliamentary seat and their place at the trough.

Corruption almost always begins at the top of the chain and works it's way down and in my opinion Britain is every bit as corrupt as any nation on the planet, it's just that they have more sophisticated and secret ways of sweeping or hiding the dirt under the carpet. Honourable members, that has to be a joke, you'd be very hard pushed indeed to find even one who had any honour at all.

mara thon wrote:

malena stool wrote:

Badboy wrote:A NURSE WHO OVERDOSED A FRIEND'S BABY WITH INSULIN A FEW YEARS AGO HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF BENEFIT FRAUD.
SHE HAS NOW BEEN STRUCK OFF THE NURSING REGISTER,THEY DECEIDED SHE WAS CRIIMINALLY MINDED,SO SHOULDN'T BE A NURSE.

Yet politicians, otherwise laughingly known as "Honourable Members" have robbed this country blind since time immemorial. Despite being paid exorbitant amounts of money for doing sweet FA most can and have evaded jail time and are still allowed to return to their parliamentary seat and their place at the trough.

Corruption almost always begins at the top of the chain and works it's way down and in my opinion Britain is every bit as corrupt as any nation on the planet, it's just that they have more sophisticated and secret ways of sweeping or hiding the dirt under the carpet. Honourable members, that has to be a joke, you'd be very hard pushed indeed to find even one who had any honour at all.

Denis Skinner is the only one who leaps to mind who condemned MPs of all parties that fraudulently claimed expenses.

I SAW ON THE FRONT OF A NEWSPAPER AT THE NEWSAGENTS THAT A LOTTERY WINNER WAS CLAIMING HOUSING BENEFIT ETC TO THE TUNE OF £15,000.

Yes I saw that too. I just can't understand why someone who won £4m would do that. The story is here:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4369576/4m-Lottery-winners-two-year-benefit-scam.html

A LOTTERY winner carried on claiming benefits for nearly two years after scooping £4million, a court heard yesterday.
comment on this story 92 comments

Used car salesman Edward Putman is said to have asked Lotto organisers Camelot for “no publicity” when he won the jackpot in 2009.

And he kept it under wraps as he continued to pocket income support and housing benefit for 20 months, magistrates were told.

In all, he allegedly trousered around £15,000.

The case — and 46-year-old Putman’s secret fortune — came as a surprise to his neighbours.

One said: “I didn’t know he had won the Lottery.”

Putman’s lawyer John Marchant told magistrates in St Albans, Herts, that he intends to plead guilty to two charges of dishonestly failing to notify the Department of Work and Pensions of a change in circumstances.

He will also pay back the benefits money as soon as prosecutors calculate the exact total.
Mr Marchant said: “Obviously if he pays off the full amount that will affect the sentence he will get.”

The case was adjourned until next month and Putman was released on unconditional bail. Greying Putman, who entered the court in casual combat trousers trying to shield his face with a mobile phone, told the bench he lives in Hemel Hempstead, Herts.

The Sun tracked him down to a £500,000 spread in a nearby village. But the curtains were closed and there was no answer to a knock on his door.

Several rows of second-hand cars and vans were in a small field alongside his house. And a caravan and breeze block outbuilding stood in the grounds.

The rural spread is currently up for sale.

An online advert posted anonymously says: “I’m not sure of how to explain what I have without someone looking over, but I have a four bed detached house with a long garden which has a mobile home on and I pay rates on that.

salesman's house
No answer ... accused salesman’s neat house yesterday
INS
“I am starting to make inquiries on getting the best price for the whole package.”

Putman is not the first Lottery winner accused of being a benefits cheat.

Andrew Crossthwaite, 23, of Longridge, Lancs, was given a supervision order last year after claiming £4,614 in employment and support allowance despite winning £250,000 on a scratchcard.

Lesley Brogan, 47, of Doncaster, South Yorks, was jailed for 21 months last year after she claimed more than £100,000 for her “disabled” husband, even though they had won £120,000 and he was able to work.

In 2010 David Smith, 51, of Manchester, was jailed for claiming more than £21,000 in benefits after scooping £160,000.

IF I WON A LOT OF MONEY,I WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO BE OFF THE BENEFITS I DEPEND ON FOR MY DISABILITY.

My mother always used to say that, if she came into a lot of money, she would pay back every penny she had ever been given in benefits. Sadly the £4.00 she won once on the football pools didn't enable her to do that!

Not Born Yesterday wrote:My mother always used to say that, if she came into a lot of money, she would pay back every penny she had ever been given in benefits. Sadly the £4.00 she won once on the football pools didn't enable her to do that!

SOMEONE TO BE ADMIRED.
ONE OF MY EX-CARERS SAID SHE RAISED HER FAMILY AND NEVER CLAIMED BENEFITS,EVEN THOUGH IT PROBABLY WAS A STRUGGLE TO DO SO.

ONE OF THE TWO PRESENTERS? ON ROGUE TRADERS HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF HOUSING BENEFIT FRAUD,IF I HEARD RIGHT.
THEY ALL SEEM TO BE AT IT THESE DAYS.

Yes your right Bb! Had a scout round and found a few links. Heres one.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9331284/BBC-Rogue-Traders-presenter-Dan-Penteado-charged-with-benefit-fraud.html#
Daft bugger!!

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/bbc-man-plays-down-fraud-claims-092406390.html

There we are, it's all a misunderstanding!

Not Born Yesterday wrote:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/bbc-man-plays-down-fraud-claims-092406390.html

There we are, it's all a misunderstanding!

IF A MISUNDERSTANDING,HOW DID THAT MISUNDERSTANDING COME ABOUT?

Some people do seem to have misunderstood the 20 hours rule.