Can't believe what i have just seen on TV
By littleone3
@littleone3 (2063)
September 4, 2008 4:04pm CST
I am sitting here watching a program about benefit cheats
Here in the Uk one man was claiming for 36 children even tho he lived in a high rise one bedroom council flat. He claimed that they were relatives children he was looking after because his relatives had drink or drug problems and they couldn't look after them. He was caught in the end but not before he had claimed over 80 thousand pounds. All he got when they caught him was just 13 months prison.
There was also a couple who claimed for 24 children, some whom had passed away, and 16 adults. They were caught due to the handwriting being simillar on all the different forms they submitted. But again not before they had received about a quarter of a million pounds in benefits.
How do these people manage to get away with it?.
Do you think that there should be more stringent checks on claims?.
Do you think there should be a whole overhaul of the benefit system?
If you knew someone was a benefit cheat would you report them?.
1 person likes this
2 responses
@checapricorn (16060)
• United States
5 Sep 08
[i]I will be reporting any person whom I know who are doing like that! That is very sad especially for the children who were used just to raise fund, not unless the intention is really genuine!
But, so far, I haven't heard anyone in our neighborhood who are doing like that! [/i]
@littleone3 (2063)
•
5 Sep 08
We have just had a few people caught in our town abusing the system but none of them went as far as the people i mentioned. I would also report them.
Thank you for your response.
@eden32 (3973)
• United States
4 Sep 08
If I knew someone was cheating the system like either of those cases I would report them without thinking twice. That's awful and those people should be ashamed of themselves. But I have also know people in my life who cheated in small ways. A friend of mine when I was younger was receiving AFDC (welfare in the states) and working part time off the books. She was a single mother, in school & only on aid for a very short time. The few extra dollars from her babysitting job was paying for gas, textbooks, her daughter's diapers etc. Right or wrong I wouldn't report someone in that situation. I've been in desperate financial situations too, right or wrong I believe in "situational ethics" if it means keeping my children fed & not homeless. But getting rich off of cheating is different in my opinion.
@littleone3 (2063)
•
5 Sep 08
I can understand why your friend done it, but she done it to survive not to get rich unlike these people i mentioned. I agree they should be ashamed of themsleves abusing the system like they did. Thank you for your input
