Moral dilemma

[andyjevs]

I have a moral dilemma.

A very good fried is fleecing the benifits system for thousands. He does some serious cash in hand work and only declares about �10,000 of his annual income. He then gets a massive tax rebate and is also claiming �450 a month working families tax credits.

Now this wouldn't be too bad but for the fact that he rams it down my throat at every given opportunity. Every thing is money orientated to him and every time he gets someting new, it has to be bigger and better than everyone else and i'm the first one he phones to tell me about it.

He are also using his disabled mums car which they have through the mobility scheeme. They use this permenantly and it's never used to ferry the mum around as she tends to prefer the bus.

What would you do....maybe i'm just jealous.

[arliebarlie]

I would have to shop him................... he doesn';t sound like a good friend if he rams it down your throat all the time.....................

think how much we are paying in taxes so that he can live the good life...................

Call the National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 854 440. Lines are open between 7.00 am and 11.00 pm, 7 days a week. It is free and confidential.

[Eels]

Do the right thing and call the number, dude.

[andy-hughes]

You have to weigh up the issues and decide -

how much of a friend is he, and how would you feel if he found out that you had turned him in (the line is anonyumous, but he may figure it out ...)

do you object to fraud per se, or because it is someone close to you doing it so blatently

are your motives formed from a sense of justice, or as you say, jealousy

You need to have a conversation with yourself, and make a decision, act on it, and then live with it.

[CT]

Does he know how you feel? Maybe you could give him an ultimatum. GIve it up or i'll shop you, or something like that.

[Susie Strawb]

Think of it this way - who do you think is paying his benefits?? People like us who work hard for our money - people like him really make me sick. You should shop him

[Oneeyedvic]

Sory, don't see any moral dilema - if you don't shop him then you are condoning his behaviour (and this is from someone who shopped their cousin).

[gammaray]

He is only a symptom of a larger problem. That being those people prepared to pay cash to get a cheaper job. You know this sort of thing really makes me laugh. How many of the previous posters WOULDN'T pay a workman cash if they thought they could get money knocked off their bill? I'm not condoning tax or benefit fraud but let's not get into the "holier than thou" mind set without taking a good look at ourselves!

[spaced]

let the benefits office know of his actions. Benefit fraudsters....I hate em!

[Pippa68]

I have the same dilemma & am contemplating reporting my sister & her boyfriend. Maybe it IS jealously, after all my hubby & I are 'middle earners' ~ we pay our extortionate rent out of our own pockets & raise the kids with our hard earned cash. We can't afford holidays or flashy cars, whilst these two swan about in their designer gear, a council house (extended) obtained through deception & at least 4 foreign holidays a year.

I have never paid a workman cash in hand, simply because I can't afford workmen ~ my hubby does everything he can regarding repairs. If he can't fix it, it don't get fixed! we finally managed to save for a bigger car which although 9 years old is just what we needed & wanted. The look of disgust on my soon-to-be brother in laws face at us buying such an 'old wreck' has made me think about finally biting the bullet. We are shafted left right & centre because of the likes of him declaring only �60 per week of his �300 earnings. Holier than thou? I think not.

[Oneeyedvic]

gammaray - Firstly, asking a workman "what sort of discount for cash" implies that he may knock the VAT off - but he may just knock off a little bit as he may not have to pay bank / credit card charges for cash. I have always asked for a discount for paying cash as it shows you are serious - it does not mean that you are trying to commit any sort of fraud, and quite often you can get a discount and a VAT receipt.

Secondly, there is also a world of difference between asking for a cash discount (but not knowing if he is paying tax / vat on the amount) and deliberately commiting fraud.

Your argument is as ludicrous as saying don't shop someone for murder if you have ever driven faster than the speed limit!

[WoWo]

I'm with you Oneeyedvic, if a tradesman said to me I'll give you a discount so I can commit fraud I'd tell him where to go.

andyjevs - if you or anybody else on this forum has any problem with "shopping" somebody in feel free to send me the relevant details and I'll do it on your behalf (seriously).

[WoWo]

Put it this way if you got paid in cash and he poped round on pay day and stole �1 out of you wage packet every week would you say something or just let him get on with it?

Thats what he's doing.

[Hgrove]

He does not sound like much of a friend to me; and he is not just rounding up his benefit with the odd tenner here and there. This sounds like systematic large-scale fraud. Much as I dislike the idea of shopping anyone, I would be inclined to reporting him - provided you can do so without giving yourself away.

[Miss Zippy]

Would you still be in a dilemma if your friend was conning money out of a little old lady? Probably not, because there is an identifiable victim. To your friend, it probably feels like a victimless crime but we all know that we all end up paying one way or another for other people who cheat the system. I would be inclined to report.

[Pippa68]

Not only is he thieving the benefits system, he probably owes a fortune in tax too. As WoWo has suggested, either report him or pass him on to us to do it for you..no probs.

[vicars]

If you shop him you may be doing him a favour - ever heard people who get shopped say they feel its a huge relief that they can sort things out? Now this guy probably wont say that but think that the longer he has before gets caught the worse it will be for him. You will be helping him out and that is what friends are for. I wouldn't tell him you did it though as that would be showing off and its no good having a big-head friend now is it, even if he is grateful. As for him mum if she prefers the bus then she won't be missing anything.

[les saisies]

He is STEALING from you, me and every other hardworking honest person in this country.

Do the correct thing and shop the B******!!!!!!!!!

[kazza12345]

there is nothing wrong with him using his mums car paid for by dla or aa. thebenefits office may give her the money, but they cant tell her how to spend it!

If people get a car on the motability scheme, they give up all of the mobility part of their benefit in exchange, so it would be like the mum having the same amount of money as she would be paying to rent the car, but giving to her son every week. As far as i know, the government cannot tell you how to spend you money yet!

If however, she gets free tax because the car is owned/driver.used exclusively for a diabled person then that is against "the rules" as you have to sign a declaration saying that the car will be used exclusively for that persons benefit (the person who is getting the mobility benefit) You will be able to tell because their tax disk will say class of vehicle: disabled fee payed 0.00 or something like that

[markja]

shop him! no two ways about it!

then contact motability and shop him again!

spongers like him don't give a t*ss about any one except themselves. motability is a charity and stealing off a charity is the lowest off the low!

shop him!