Unemployment benefit fraud on a massive scale?

I think you're right. Yes, she should be arrested on her return to the UK and she should be made an example of, as a warning to others who abuse the system. There is far too much abuse of the social security system in this country... how do they get so many claims through without being caught? Does the whole system need updating and making more secure? It seems to be grossly depleted by people who never worked and never intended to, and yes, I'm sorry to say this but along with the health system, by immigrants too, because our law allows it. I think Social Security should be a bit more like the pension payments. You are awarded ONLY when you have so many insurance stamps and tax payments to show, and then you are graded on the payments you have made. If you are a married woman, who can't avoid taking time out of work to raise a family, then your husband's payments should be taken into consideration. You've caught me on a subject which wrangles highly with me, Eskarena. I'm sorry to get on my soap box, but it so annoys me when I worked for a living and when my first marriage ended, I was scrimping and scraping on social to even feed my two kids. Why is it some get it in gross excess and some don't get enough to live on. It's just not fairly done, whereas nobody could argue should it be graded according to their insurance and tax payments. Thank you for this discussion. It's an eye-opener. Brightest Blessings, my friend.

Hello,eskearena,I think this woman should eb arrested when she return to UK. She has broken the law obviously as she falsified claims for the social security payment in the expense of other tax payers,that mean other taxpayers are just paying money to her every month while she is not supposed to get it. If everyone do it like her, the whole system will be collapsed, that is why it is important to deter some people from doing it now or it will be too late to stop .

EsKaren as you know I am on Disability and a couple of other Benefits and I am struggling I can't even afford to buy a treat for myself half the time very rare I worked 28 years solid until my Life fell apart when I was diagnosed with this Illnes bullied out of my Job because of it, fighting the Company which made me worse and I deteriated and also started suffering with deep depressions then being told by the Doctor I will not be able to work again So now I get this Ok I do not pay Council Tax but I do have to make the difference up to my Rent as I could NOT get a Council Place So how does this Woman achieve all that I want to know specially if she is fit to work I want to work but my Doctor refused to let me as she said I would not handle it I had to fight over a Year to get my Benefits in that year I was granted £56 a week and I had a Mortgage to pay they did not care In the end my son bought the House as it was being repossessed I was not eating half the time Yes my Kids lived with me but my Son was not earning well and neither was my Daughter So in Gods name can that woman afford Holidays and all that how can she get that much money I would really like to know that Yes I am mad at this as I will never forget the Struggle I was put through and the stress and Tears I cried

That is horrible to see such misuse of taxpayer's money, we have things like that here, but we arrest them and put them in fancy jails where we can wait on them some more and then let them out in society to deal with the after effects.

Well Eskarena, I once spent some years working for the DSS in the UK, and I know I could tell you tales of scams and abuse that would make your hair curl........... sadly though, even though I am no longer employed there, I am atill tied by the Secrecy Acts, so I cannot! I agree with you, that this woman should be arrested, but sadly it will not happen. The time and money spent on her arrest, and any legal fees would just be another loss to the taxpayer, as she could, and no doubt would, claim everything back through Legal Aid, and eventually end up paying something like 50p a week back to "repay" her theft from the Benefit system. It is a sad indictment on our society that people prefer to live this way, and I really do not now the answer to it.

It is really too much. We all have to struggle to earn a crust and very occasionally our efforts may permit us to have a holiday on the U.S. I'm not really that politically minded, but hell, wouldn't the money spent on this woman be better used in hospitals. The heart re-hab unit that I attended in in our local hospital is strapped for cash and it looks like it's going to close down. They were funded by the lottery, but that grant has expired now. As a Zen practitioner one of the precepts is about not judging, but some people make it incredibly difficult! It's not just me it effects though, there are relatively young people with heart disease that need good rehab. advice. That's not to mention the cancer departments, hospices etc. etc. I'd better shut up and let karma work its magic..

After reading your discussion topic, I was all in favor of having that woman arrested when she returned to the UK. After reading your various comments to the responses, I realized you were talking about Queen Elizabeth. That's when I started rolling on the floor laughing. I'm glad that the UK is as stupid as the US when it comes to all the freebies given out to our leaders. Thanks for giving me my laugh for the day.

This is a terrible abuse of the systemand I think you are right, she should be arrested upon her return for fraud and thrown in jail. Jail would probably be the only option as it sounds like she has racked up to big of a bill to be able to ever think about paying it all back to the government. Such a shame that people out there abuse the system like this.

I live in the USA and I've had unemployment for many years (but not recently), but I have also worked at least part time and full-time whenever I could. I was pretty strictly monitored in terms of reviews and interviews from time to time. If I had never worked, I would never have gotten benefits. And, when I did work, they were decreased or eliminated. Even when I did get them, it was never enough to live comfortably. We have people here that live not only on unemployment, but welfare. They have children who end up going on welfare and so on. No, it's not a lot, but many of these people have never worked a day in their life. I think, in the least, the woman you mentioned should be cut off and forced to find employment or go into employment training. In the USA, she would have to pay back all the fraudulent money that she earned.

She should definitely be thrown in jail, how she got away with it up til now is quite amazing. And I'm sure they're are plenty of others out there doing the same thing.

If there are strong evidences against her why not, filing a complaint i think is the first move on apprehending this woman..

OH !! , Absolutley !!!!!!

I was born and raised in the UK - moved to the USA with my late husband and now because of my partner I spend 1/2 my time in the UK. It amazes me the way people scam the benefit system and get away with it. I know just what you are talking about. Another thing is when these people do finally get caught they get a slap on the wrist and are free to do it again. My partner had a total hip replacement on April 27th in one of the scruffy - dis-organized NHS hospitals. He has waited over 2 years for this. A neighbor who is an immigrant from Yemen went to Yemen for almost a year - he brought his elderly sister back with him and within a month of her getting here she had a total hip replacement - courtesy of the NHS and UK taxpayers. I felt sorry for the people from Kosovo - they were run out of their country - but they were provided free fully furnished council flats - and benefits which gave them a cash amount weekly almost double that of my partner who had worked here in the UK all of his working life. I afree 100% with what you are saying but look who is to blame - the government for allowing it to go on. The entire benefits system in this country needs a massive overhaul - and I shudder to think how much worse it will get when Gordon Brown becomes Prime Minister. That is why my partner is seriously thinking about moving permanently with me to the USA.