Benefit fraud, does it make you angry? — Scope | Disability forum
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Benefit fraud, does it make you angry?

exdvr
exdvr Community member Posts: 331 Pioneering
Hi...I am genuinely disabled and receive PIP which pays for my Motability car and my privately bought scooter without which I am literally housebound.  I also know someone who lives close by who claims the same benefit but OBVIOUSLY is not disabled.  It makes me so angry.  What say others?

Best wishes.

DLTBGYD

Comments

  • Sam_Alumni
    Sam_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,671 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @exdvr
    Many people have hidden disabilities, just because you can't see an impairment, doesn't mean it doesn't exist or that the person is claiming benefits fraudulently.
    Scope
    Senior online community officer
  • exdvr
    exdvr Community member Posts: 331 Pioneering
    I know this person personally and appreciate the veracity of the comments from both @Adrian and @Sam but although I could never "grass" on her it is very difficult not to be angered by the obvious abuse of the system.

    Best wishes.

    DLTBGYD

  • Seanchai
    Seanchai Community member Posts: 411 Pioneering
    All systems get abused....it makes me angry to read about people who need help but get refused various help like PIP . Its this goverments want ( in my opinion ) to stop people claiming benefits like PIP . That makes me more angry than reading about people who abuse the system .
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,359 Disability Gamechanger
    My daughter claims Enhanced rate for both parts. If you looked at her, you'd think there was nothing wrong with her. She looks "normal" whatever normal is these days. She walks perfectly, can dress herself and wash herself.

    However, she has Autism and a learning disability and needs a lot of help and support everyday. Yes, she can dress and wash herself but she needs assistance to be able to do both, if she didn't she'd wear the wrong clothes for the type of weather and step into a hot bath/shower.

    She also needs assistance in the kitchen because she can't tell the time, can't hold a knife because she doesn't understand how to and has cut herself many times, doesn't understand when something is cooked or not.

    Needs assistance to be able to step foot outside the door because she wouldn't know which direction to go, is a danger on the road because she doesn't understand when it's safe to cross. She's walked out into the road several times in the past. She's 18 and has never been out alone in her life. I could go on....

    You say you know this person personally but do you know everything about them? Do you know exactly how each day is for them? If you don't then please don't judge because invisible conditions definitely do exist and very few people claim PIP fraudulently.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • exdvr
    exdvr Community member Posts: 331 Pioneering

    Online community

    Our online forum is a vibrant and supportive space to get advice and information, and talk to people with similar experiences.

    This is taken directly from Scope's opening website.  I presume that it is meant to be used to have a rational debate on matters which are of concern to us all.  I only asked if others felt the same as I do and it is in no way intended to be a personal attack on any particular situation.  Surely we don't need to degenerate to the sort of behaviour we see far too often in the House of Commons.

    Best wishes.

    DLTBGYD

  • Sam_Alumni
    Sam_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,671 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @exdvr
    You are welcome to discuss and debate matters surrounding disability and I think that is what is happening on the post. People are telling you their opinion. I don't think there have been any personal attacks from others towards you or any poor behaviour.
    If you are concerned about any post in particular, please let me know.
    Best wishes
    Sam
    Scope
    Senior online community officer
  • kami24
    kami24 Community member Posts: 402 Pioneering
    Makes me angry if I know that they are definitely committing fraud or tax fraud etc as many many people are only just able to keep their head above water even if they work full time and genuinely disabled people (any form) need the support given so these people are making it worse for the genuinely disabled as then we all have to have more assessment and check ups and reviews because of these dishonest people 
  • Sam_Alumni
    Sam_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,671 Disability Gamechanger
    edited October 2019
    Any fraud is of course terrible. It is worth noting that around 86-87% of the cases reported to the government by members of the public of allegations of benefits fraud are dropped due to no evidence. 

    Disability can take many different forms and many are not visible.


    Scope
    Senior online community officer
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,359 Disability Gamechanger
    @Sam_Scope thanks for those figures, very interesting. Just proves my point, very few people claim benefits fraudulently.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • pollyanna1052
    pollyanna1052 Community member Posts: 2,032 Disability Gamechanger
    It is annoying when genuine folk are put through the wringer to prove their needs.

  • mrbuttons
    mrbuttons Community member Posts: 221 Pioneering
    edited October 2019
    Of course any type of fraud is wrong, esp benefit fraud.
    But i would be wary of  assuming someones health status just by looking at them.a few weeks ago i was parking my motability car in the disabled bay at my local asda, a woman shouted  from the other side of the car park, "oi you dont look disabled  ,why are you parking there?"
     She was right i dont look 'disabled' as my conditions are not all apparent until i try to walk. This woman marched over and demanded that i show her my blue badge. A few years ago i might have allowed myself to be bullied by her but not now. I politely told her that my health is none of her concern she back tracked saying that she was talking to the man parking in the next  bay she might have been well meaning or she might have been looking for an argument. She then started on him.and a massive argument erupted between them.
    My point is that we all know that not all disabilities are visable and its unfair to judge people on our assumptions about how a disabled person 'should' look. I think its another type of bullying, however innocent the intention. Perhaps its best to leave fraud investigations to the professionals and not making judgements about other people.
    If you know the person a discreet word in their ear might be a better way of dealing with the issue they may not have told you about their health or they might be cheating the system, until you know all the facts you are just winding yourself up.
    Talking to them about it might get them to change their ways if they are being dishonest. Since you dont want to "grass" on them put the responsibility on them.
  • wilko
    wilko Community member Posts: 2,458 Disability Gamechanger
    We have seen people using blue badge spaces and wondered what wrong with them, they walk normally at a regular normal speed using stairs or carrying shopping bags, are they disabled or just using the blue badge wrongly?  And no doubt we have all seen the badge holder sat in the car while the partner does the shopping who is a well abled body person. Then I have been told of the single parent claiming DLA for her teenager son and goes off for long weekends and claiming Carer’s allowance for him.
  • AlisonNetty
    AlisonNetty Community member Posts: 192 Pioneering
    It drives me crazy because it makes the rest of us like bad... It also makes it hard to get the benefits that your entailed to. 
  • WhileIBreathIHope
    WhileIBreathIHope Posts: 216 Pioneering
    edited October 2019
    wilko said:
    We have seen people using blue badge spaces and wondered what wrong with them, they walk normally at a regular normal speed using stairs or carrying shopping bags, are they disabled or just using the blue badge wrongly?  And no doubt we have all seen the badge holder sat in the car while the partner does the shopping who is a well abled body person. Then I have been told of the single parent claiming DLA for her teenager son and goes off for long weekends and claiming Carer’s allowance for him.
    That would be me with the hidden disabilities (autism, fibromyalgia and bowel issues)running to the nearest toilet with seconds to spare and sure I’ll be reported for it.

    I personally get council tax exemption for “severe mental defect” aka Autism and I never personally had any involvement in application as Autism I could swallow- the other term is offensive.

    I had a chap from the NAS who Direct Payments paid for, but this didn’t stop several people in the street who a Narcissistic family member ran their mouth off to phoning up every council department making allegations so crazy as to be impossible.
    this went on for years and after taking advice.
    Council were told that I was being harassed by proxy and they were causing harassment alarm and distress, at the time these allegations were made I kept getting letters for compliance interviews and Keyworker and advocate at time weekly contacted  local office.
    supposedly I was:- 
    100 visitors a week ( I couldn’t cope with a quarter of this)
    Running a Taxi service, yes they were stupid enough at council to ask for my licence number, accounts etc which didn’t exist.
    While stuck housebound I was reported for selling car parts, running a business with my neighbours.
    IT GOT SO BAD POLICE INVOLVED AND COUNCIL THREATENED WITH COURT ACTION.
    so I have both seen the get pregnant never do a days work and claim a bad back and get a house etc.

    I must have been a great child actor to get an Autism diagnosis before it seems “fashionable” 1980’s I was treated like a complete Idiot.

    Any incapacity benefit, Direct Payments all stopped and instantly then no longer eligible for an advocate- local MP tried for weeks to unwind the mess and briefly succeeded.

    You see there is no leverage on high functioning Autism, there is a subtle discrimination where it is seen as being difficult and playing up- Austerity was the knife to bring out these prejudices.

    Sorry If it is ranting, but through discrimination and austerity I went from a safe comfortable life to one of threat of eviction, no food in the cupboards, missing meals while ill.

    we are not financially stable, I’m allegedly self employed and recently with lack of work close to being in debt for simple things as heating oil and a tyre for the car my partner travels to work in as too far to walk and no bus or car share.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,359 Disability Gamechanger
    wilko said:
    We have seen people using blue badge spaces and wondered what wrong with them, they walk normally at a regular normal speed using stairs or carrying shopping bags, are they disabled or just using the blue badge wrongly?  And no doubt we have all seen the badge holder sat in the car while the partner does the shopping who is a well abled body person. Then I have been told of the single parent claiming DLA for her teenager son and goes off for long weekends and claiming Carer’s allowance for him.
    I'm sorry but invisible conditions do exist. Not everyone has a physical disability. You can claim a BB for other disabilities too.

    As for claiming carers allowance for a child and going away for the weekend, then again i think you're wrong. To claim carers allowance you need to be looking after that person for 35 hours per week. There's 24 hours in a day and some people need looking after day and night. Besides 35 hours is 5 hours per day, which is very easily achieved if the child lives with the parent claiming carers allowance.

    Also a person claiming carers allowance is allowed to take a break from caring for 4 weeks in any 6 month period and still continue to receive the carers allowance.

    Please think before you post because caring for someone is very often more than a full time job. I claim carers allowance for my daughter, i'm a single parent and i can tell you for a fact i look after her for a lot more hours than 35 each week and yes, she goes away sometimes without me and yes i continue to claim my carers allowance.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 587 Listener
    Yeap, it annoys the poop out of me, I know of two people at the moment who are doing it, they've both been reported and investigated.

    In regards to carers, my Son's my carer, it's not easy, he gets about £90 odd pw for 35 hours of work (he actually ends up doing more), he does EVERYTHING around the home and garden, he collects my meds, comes with me to appointments, it really is a lot of hard work for little money, he doesn't have long breaks away but honestly, I think he should because he suffers with anxiety himself and doesn't mix with people, it's gotten to the point now where he's looking for a job because of the lack of money and social interaction.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 231 Pioneering
    The user and all related content has been deleted.

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