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mattnunn
4,114 posts
30 months
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Well if they're are two possible income streams into this household plus two additional fathers providing support I think she should be able to cope, I mean we're all struggling a bit, if it was 2006 she could have loaded up with debt, but as it is she'll have to cut her cloth accordingly.
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ShawCrossShark
Original Poster
2,012 posts
103 months
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Eric Mc said: Blimey, you don't half lead a complicated life.
I think you need a few lessons in "how to pick a good woman". You mean how to pick a woman that's not a slapper. Lesson learned believe me!!  We have a reasonably good relationship for the good of our daughter but she can be a mare at times tbh No kids with the latest ex means I don't give a flying f  k what happens to her 
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Hugo a Gogo
15,155 posts
102 months
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surely the 18 yr old didn't tell her he'd quit college....
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shtu
504 posts
15 months
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Skimmed through it, but the root of the current problem is definitely the 18-year-old. Not "kid" or "child".
They're an adult, they had a choice of remain in education and family receives benefits, or not, and receive different\other\less benefit.
Grownup conversation needed, didn't happen.
As a defence, it would be worth having an expert in benefits calculate what the 18-year-old should have been receiving had they got off their lazy arse, an attempt to offset that against the fraudulent claim. *Might* be able to limit the damage that way.
Limited sympathy, I do have some for the situation that lead to this seeming to be the only choice.
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Sgt Bilko
1,544 posts
84 months
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The fraud would be concealing a change of circumstances and receiving money for no entitlement, but only the addition to Income Support (above her personal entitlement) for the 18 y/o. She would have still been eligible for her personal entitlement and the 6 y/o. So you are looking at roughly £62.00 per week since the 18 y/o was booted from college, and from the date that can be proved. First offence, probably a fine, which after a financial assessment will be deducted at a small amount per week from the remaining benefits. Possibly Community Service punishment order for the hours where the 6 y/o is at school. Oh and recovery of the overpaid money (the £62.00 per week bit).
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ShawCrossShark
Original Poster
2,012 posts
103 months
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Hugo a Gogo said: surely the 18 yr old didn't tell her he'd quit college.... Should there be a there? Unfortunately he did, and she chose to do this whilst letting him sit on his 4rse all day every day
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PumpkinSteve
1,802 posts
25 months
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I don't know what kind of punishment there can be, one of my distant relatives was recently caught and was simply told he had to pay back £6000. He doesn't have a job so I guess they just take pennies off your jobseekers.
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Corsair7
7,376 posts
116 months
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Eric Mc said: I would like to think I HAVEN'T committed any criminal acts. I certainly haven't tried to defraud the state.
I do have sympathy for people who have misclaimed benefits or tax credits unwittingly. The system is complex and people do make mistakes.
However, I have no sympathy whatsoever for people who claim benefits and tax credits KNOWING that they should not. The law can have its way in those caees. What, you've lived you're entire life without knowingly breaking the odd law, flouting a rule or regulation, turned a blind eye to some wrong doing or doing something morally suspect? I'm here posting this on works time, for a start.
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Oakey
13,728 posts
85 months
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The Beaver King said: I can see why a lot of people on here are unsympathetic, especially when it comes to benefit fraud. Personally I feel sorry for her. Having grown up with my mother who was in a very similar situation to the one the OP has described, except my mother had 3 kids and didn't claim benefits. Going from being in a marriage that was fairly comfortable wealth wise, to a divorce caused by my fathers adultery, followed by 5 years of court cases and tearing chunks out of each other, it is a very difficult situation and leaves both parties financially wrecked. While I don't agree with what she did, I do hope she gets off lightly. There is a big difference between screwing the system over because you can and screwing it over because you desperately need to. Agree with the rest of the comments though, get the little f ker to work and pay his way or boot him out. OP, make sure she pushes the lad, she'll be surprised at the difference him paying his own way will affect her own finances. Sorry but no sympathy really. My mother was in the same position (sold her house ten years ago and rented it back, great idea! my sister would have been 8 at the time) but she didn't feel the need to break the law. She works two jobs to make ends meet.
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Oakey
13,728 posts
85 months
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Corsair7 said: What, you've lived you're entire life without knowingly breaking the odd law, flouting a rule or regulation, turned a blind eye to some wrong doing or doing something morally suspect?
I'm here posting this on works time, for a start. Is that a criminal offense punishable by custodial sentence?
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Hugo a Gogo
15,155 posts
102 months
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shtu said: it would be worth having an expert in benefits calculate what the 18-year-old should have been receiving had they got off their lazy arse, an attempt to offset that against the fraudulent claim. won't take long 'Nothing' as far as I know you are either in full-time education, or working at that age, you can't get anything else
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BoRED S2upid
9,454 posts
109 months
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ShawCrossShark said: She is now in rented accomodation and receives housing benefit as well as tax credits etc. Works 15 hours a week and cannot do more as she would lose so much money in benefits that it would leave her considerably worse off (non skilled manual labour)  How many times have I heard this!
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ShawCrossShark
Original Poster
2,012 posts
103 months
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BoRED S2upid said: How many times have I heard this! That one is the system's fault rather than the person though. Trapping people on benefits was New Labours way of retaining votes
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BoRED S2upid
9,454 posts
109 months
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ShawCrossShark said: BoRED S2upid said: How many times have I heard this! That one is the system's fault rather than the person though. Trapping people on benefits was New Labours way of retaining votes Which is changing or should be changing. Its also a mindset that people like this need to get out of and work their way out of this benefit dependancy. I don't know her situation but im pretty sure she would be better off working more hours.
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The Hitman
2,553 posts
79 months
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She'll get a slap on the wrist....as long as she hasn't done anything else wrong and she admits the mistake
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Jimmy No Hands
1,802 posts
25 months
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Agree with the above about people having the attitude that they don't need to work any more than the minimum (understandably) but its the wrong attitude. Given the choice of a 50 hour graft or two 8 hour shifts for probably the same money, pfft, whats the point? Morals? Don't blame the folk, blame the f ked up system. Give the 18 year old four weeks to get a job, if he doesn't, then kick him out. He can contribute or f k off.
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Du1point8
14,294 posts
61 months
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BoRED S2upid said: ShawCrossShark said: BoRED S2upid said: How many times have I heard this! That one is the system's fault rather than the person though. Trapping people on benefits was New Labours way of retaining votes Which is changing or should be changing. Its also a mindset that people like this need to get out of and work their way out of this benefit dependancy. I don't know her situation but im pretty sure she would be better off working more hours. Issue is that every time it is mentioned that it should be changed and is being reviewed... Labour and all the other human rights people jump down the throats of the people doing it saying they are penalising the poor and effectively just rich toffs helping out friends... Its not and it never will be but the PR spin doctors put it in such a bad light on the people doing it, benefits is a safety net rather than a way of life that labour made it and never should have been.
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Sticks.
3,114 posts
120 months
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ShawCrossShark said: That one is the system's fault rather than the person though. Trapping people on benefits was New Labours way of retaining votes Always been that way I'm afraid. Right back to Family Income Supplement, which was before Family Credit, which was before Tax Credits, there was always a cliff edge. Probably didn't affect so many people then though, yes.
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Jimmy No Hands
1,802 posts
25 months
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Du1point8 said: Issue is that every time it is mentioned that it should be changed and is being reviewed... Labour and all the other human rights people jump down the throats of the people doing it saying they are penalising the poor and effectively just rich toffs helping out friends...
Its not and it never will be but the PR spin doctors put it in such a bad light on the people doing it, benefits is a safety net rather than a way of life that labour made it and never should have been. Unfortunately, for an ever increasing number it is a way of life and they have no intention of changing.
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Eric Mc
67,256 posts
134 months
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Corsair7 said: Eric Mc said: I would like to think I HAVEN'T committed any criminal acts. I certainly haven't tried to defraud the state.
I do have sympathy for people who have misclaimed benefits or tax credits unwittingly. The system is complex and people do make mistakes.
However, I have no sympathy whatsoever for people who claim benefits and tax credits KNOWING that they should not. The law can have its way in those caees. What, you've lived you're entire life without knowingly breaking the odd law, flouting a rule or regulation, turned a blind eye to some wrong doing or doing something morally suspect? I'm here posting this on works time, for a start. I work for myself so I can dictate how and when I chose to work and/or post on the internet. But that isn't a legal issue anyway - just an internal working rules issue. But I can put my hand on my heart and have never deliberately gone out of my way to steal. Indeed, my professional body would have my guts for garters if I did.
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