Would you grass up a benefits cheat?

I doubt it, tbh.

I don't think so.

Can you give a broad outline of the nature of the cheating?

Is this in general as the talk is of 10 year sentences?

Yes I would.

It would depend on the circumstances. I'd like to think so, but it would depend on family circumstances etc

I'd like to say yes but in reality I probably wouldn't

In that case, yes I would. I'd tip off anonymously.

Yes I would, and I have. My Sister.

I think I probably would - but might depend on how long it had been going on for and whether the person had been warned about doing it but continued.

And you're very close to her? No, I really don't think I would.

I almost did when of my housemates was falsely claiming. I chickened out in the end because her boyfriend was a very close friend of mine and would never have forgiven me if he found out.

I have done, but not someone close.

I'd like to say yes. My instinct says yes, but I'm really not sure I would. It would very much depend on the circumstances. I'd be disappointed in myself if I didn't because it's a real pet hate of mine.

If it was someone very close I probably wouldn't but would definitely have words with them and make it clear I didn't agree with what they were doing

No I wouldn't. Imagine the impact on the family if one were imprisoned (I know it's not your problem, but still). If you're that close can you not tell her that its wrong and that she needs to stop?

No, I wouldn't x

I would love to- but I would chicken out and knowing my luck the person would find out it was me that 'grassed' them up.

If they didn't desperately need the money then I would definitely want to report them. Whether I could or not depends on how close we were

Difficult to say but I think I'd be more likely to try and talk them out of it.

My reticence to grass isn't for fear of retribution, nor because I view the crime as mild. It's more my utter rejection that I should somehow act as the government's henchman, in a initiative that engenders mistrust and encourages everyone to police their neighbours' behaviours. It's like something from 1984 - be a good citizen, dob them in, 'do it to Julia'.

I'd rant, threaten and moan about it behind their back, but no I wouldn't grass

£200 a WEEK?! Jeez that's a lot of money. I don't think I would grass them up though. I have known someone in a similar situation but I couldn't do it to the child. If I was close to the person fraudulently claiming, I would try and persuade them not to.

No. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to them afterwards. I also agree with footlong about the government's henchmen thing.

I want to but haven't - yet. I know someone who is claiming income support and saying they're living alone but isn't. Because they have kids, they're also claiming extra tax credits and it really annoys me, especially as we're budgeting so incredibly carefully to pay for a wedding while supporting seven kids between us! I'm really just waiting until they wind me up enough that I do it in temper!!!

Sorry K, when I said you etc I meant in general. i know you'd already said you couldn't grass.

That would make me even less likely to grass, I'd be doing it to benefit me rather than because I thought it was the right thing.

I could be persuaded ?

I think it would motivate a lot of people to report false claimants.

For me, I'd want to do it for the principle, not a reward. I'm angry that lots of people work their nuts off to make ends meet without committing fraud and others get away with it.

Tough question, my inital instinct is to say yes i would, especially when I see people get so much money from the government when my parents have struggled and struggled and my mum has had her benefits cut to the bone, they have now had to sell their house and move into a rented property because they are in so much debt/money problems. People that claim when they can work really really cheese me off. The loss of my mum's benefits have meant they went from surviving but having that little bit of cash to my mum worrying herself sick over money and having to find a minimum wage job working her guts out when her health is very poor to start with.

However in the real world I'm not sure if I could grass someone, it would depend on how close i was to that person, and what the repercussions would be for that persons family.

If I knew for certain they were commiting fraud then yes I would report them. It's the publics money but no one is entitled to take advantage. p*sses me right off.

I wouldn't report if I wasn't sure. I know someone who's partner ex reported her even though she was doing nothing wrong. What followed was 18 months of investigations which turned her life upside down. I wouldn't want someone to go through this if they didn't need to. If someone was being open about it and bragging then yes I would report them. I used to work for the council and knew people in the fraud department and they work really hard and do a very difficult job. They put themselves in danger sometimes to protect public money and they need help to uncover people defrauding the system.

I would. Purely because of my job. I see people swindling the system every single day of my working week and it irritates me that we cannot investigate until an allegation has been made in some cases.