I have a friend who recently let slip that she is being paid for a job she claims is volunteer work. She is on ESA for depression and pays for very little to support herself. Everything seems to be covered by benefits. The thought of her claiming this ESA and working cash in hand drives me crazy. I honestly feel the urge to report her. Anyone had an experience like this? What would you do?
why are friends with this person OP if you are always going oin out on about her behind her back , you seem to have a problem with her having a mental illness full stop
why are friends with this person OP if you are always going oin out on about her behind her back , you seem to have a problem with her having a mental illness full stop
Like I said earlier, this is a very odd thread.
I do wonder now if the OP is in fact 'the friend' he/she speaks of.
Either that, or they have a strange obsession.
You might be better off learning a few more words. ;-) You can work and legitimately receive ESA. For many people on ESA, the end goal is for them to return to paid employment.
I have a friend who recently let slip that she is being paid for a job she claims is volunteer work. She is on ESA for depression and pays for very little to support herself. Everything seems to be covered by benefits. The thought of her claiming this ESA and working cash in hand drives me crazy. I honestly feel the urge to report her. Anyone had an experience like this? What would you do?
If she is breaking the rules, and I am no expert, she should be shopped.
BIB; not true. Fraud investigation could likely be absolutely devastating to someone with depression; a mentally healthy person could maybe shrug it off, but mental illness usually brings up issues such as unrealistic guilt feelings, low self esteem/confidence, paranoia and persecution fears, and excessive anxiety and worry. Stands to reason it could severely affect someone with depression. At the very least, I'd talk to her first and find out if it's an innocent job or not, and also, if it could be an innocent misunderstanding about the rules about permitted work, something easy enough to make when so many people legitimately do have part time jobs while on benefits.
All good points, not to mention questioning who was trying to drop her in it by reporting her, that would make her suspicious of a lot of the people around her.
All good points, not to mention questioning who was trying to drop her in it by reporting her, that would make her suspicious of a lot of the people around her.
Permitted work and supported permitted (there are some subtle differences) work are perfectly legitimate. People on either of those do actually pay tax on their earnings, will have money taken from their housing benefit and council tax benefit, and various other things happening such as being required to present wage slips on demand to the the DWP and various benefit agencies.
The main benefits of permitted and supported permitted work is that it can actually speed up a persons recovery as they don't feel completely useless, they're given motivation to get out of bed in the morning and they're doing something constructive. They're also getting paid for it, so they don't feel like they're working for nothing and this will give them the incentive to try and get employed long-term so they can come off benefits.
The OP may want to consider his actions before he complains though. A close friend of my family was in supported permitted work last year as she has some mental health problems, but wanted to see if she could manage a part-time job. Her employers even paid for her to do a college course as work related training. Someone saw her working, reported her to the DWP and an investigation was launched. Her benefits were stopped outright including her housing benefit which put her under massive stress as she was worried she'd end up homeless, and she was also unable to feed herself as the money she was earning went straight to paying her rent so she didn't end up with massive arrears. She was also interviewed under caution at the benefits agencies offices as she was now under suspicion of benefit fraud. My wife went around one night to find her sitting in the dark with no heating or hot water (she couldn't afford to top-up her pre-payment meters) and nothing that she could eat. Although she appreciated it, she did say that she felt like she had been humiliated by the DWP as my wife put £50 on both her meters and bought her some shopping that would last her a couple of weeks (which was repaid even though we weren't expecting it). Unfortunately, she ended up having a psychotic episode and was more or less back to square one as she couldn't work and her college work went right out of the window and she failed that. In the space of the 10 weeks it took the benefits agency to sort out that she wasn't doing anything wrong, she'd lost everything she'd worked bloody hard for and had relapsed. She's now solely ESA and will be for quite a long time due to someone not having all the facts, whereas she'd now probably have had a full time position and off benefits.
Permitted work and supported permitted (there are some subtle differences) work are perfectly legitimate. People on either of those do actually pay tax on their earnings, will have money taken from their housing benefit and council tax benefit, and various other things happening such as being required to present wage slips on demand to the the DWP and various benefit agencies.
The main benefits of permitted and supported permitted work is that it can actually speed up a persons recovery as they don't feel completely useless, they're given motivation to get out of bed in the morning and they're doing something constructive. They're also getting paid for it, so they don't feel like they're working for nothing and this will give them the incentive to try and get employed long-term so they can come off benefits.
The OP may want to consider his actions before he complains though. A close friend of my family was in supported permitted work last year as she has some mental health problems, but wanted to see if she could manage a part-time job. Her employers even paid for her to do a college course as work related training. Someone saw her working, reported her to the DWP and an investigation was launched. Her benefits were stopped outright including her housing benefit which put her under massive stress as she was worried she'd end up homeless, and she was also unable to feed herself as the money she was earning went straight to paying her rent so she didn't end up with massive arrears. She was also interviewed under caution at the benefits agencies offices as she was now under suspicion of benefit fraud. My wife went around one night to find her sitting in the dark with no heating or hot water (she couldn't afford to top-up her pre-payment meters) and nothing that she could eat. Although she appreciated it, she did say that she felt like she had been humiliated by the DWP as my wife put £50 on both her meters and bought her some shopping that would last her a couple of weeks (which was repaid even though we weren't expecting it). Unfortunately, she ended up having a psychotic episode and was more or less back to square one as she couldn't work and her college work went right out of the window and she failed that. In the space of the 10 weeks it took the benefits agency to sort out that she wasn't doing anything wrong, she'd lost everything she'd worked bloody hard for and had relapsed. She's now solely ESA and will be for quite a long time due to someone not having all the facts, whereas she'd now probably have had a full time position and off benefits.
Agree, people need to realise the consequences of wrongful complaints, they can really set people back.
Oh please. I didn't invent anything. She actually does exist.
This thread is going nowhere. There is absolutely no advice to be given here aside from to talk to her to find out 100% and I mean One Hundred percent that it's fraud and not within the guidelines. Assuming, or just thinking you know is just not good enough.
Only after knowing for sure should you be wondering what to do about it.
Personally I would not be able to sleep at night if I brought that amount of stress and panic into someone's life that has depression and I was wrong about it.
Oh please. I didn't invent anything. She actually does exist.
Does she actually run over to your house waving her wage slip in your face or fanning herself with the cash while she brags about how much she earns helping out on the disabled school bus for a couple of hours a day or something? how do you know the full story of her income? you don't. how do you know what she is claiming and if it is entitled? she can work for 16 hours a week while claiming and surely a couple of hours a day on the school bus falls into those hours. maybe just maybe those couple of hours a day will be helping her build the confidance she needs to get back into full time employment and leave ESA. what will you moan about when that happens? the fact her job pays less than yours yet she has nicer blinds! you've called her a "friend" so how about you go and talk to your "friend" instead of splashing her buisness on a thread on the internet. find your balls and ask her if this work is allowed. she may clear it up because at the minute it sounds like your just clutching at straws and coming up with your own answers when in reality you probably know nothing about her illness and her income.
As already said on this thread, you can claim and work.
You can also claim JSA and work. *sits and waits for you to get all angry and 'outraged'*
Oh and sorry to burst your little "law abiding taxpayers" bubble. We're all taxpayers, income tax is not the only form of tax and taxation is not the only form of income for the government.
The government and media hype over the "welfare state" is nothing more than divide and rule and smoke and mirrors. One day you will open your eyes to it.
I thought everyone had woken up to the "honest hardworking taxpayers" vs "feckless, workshy dole scroungers" smoke screen. Clearly I was wrong.
Does she actually run over to your house waving her wage slip in your face or fanning herself with the cash while she brags about how much she earns helping out on the disabled school bus for a couple of hours a day or something? how do you know the full story of her income? you don't. how do you know what she is claiming and if it is entitled? she can work for 16 hours a week while claiming and surely a couple of hours a day on the school bus falls into those hours. maybe just maybe those couple of hours a day will be helping her build the confidance she needs to get back into full time employment and leave ESA. what will you moan about when that happens? the fact her job pays less than yours yet she has nicer blinds! you've called her a "friend" so how about you go and talk to your "friend" instead of splashing her buisness on a thread on the internet. find your balls and ask her if this work is allowed. she may clear it up because at the minute it sounds like your just clutching at straws and coming up with your own answers when in reality you probably know nothing about her illness and her income.
Comments
The clue is in the name .
The OP clearly doesn't understand the nature of the benefit his friend is receipt of.
you don't know for sure she is committing fraud
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1622909&highlight=
why are friends with this person OP if you are always going oin out on about her behind her back , you seem to have a problem with her having a mental illness full stop
Like I said earlier, this is a very odd thread.
I do wonder now if the OP is in fact 'the friend' he/she speaks of.
Either that, or they have a strange obsession.
Beginning to think she isn't a friend at all, I feel sorry for her having a "friend" like the OP, friends don't talk about you behind your back
You might be better off learning a few more words. ;-) You can work and legitimately receive ESA. For many people on ESA, the end goal is for them to return to paid employment.
If she is breaking the rules, and I am no expert, she should be shopped.
All good points, not to mention questioning who was trying to drop her in it by reporting her, that would make her suspicious of a lot of the people around her.
exactly, well said
The main benefits of permitted and supported permitted work is that it can actually speed up a persons recovery as they don't feel completely useless, they're given motivation to get out of bed in the morning and they're doing something constructive. They're also getting paid for it, so they don't feel like they're working for nothing and this will give them the incentive to try and get employed long-term so they can come off benefits.
The OP may want to consider his actions before he complains though. A close friend of my family was in supported permitted work last year as she has some mental health problems, but wanted to see if she could manage a part-time job. Her employers even paid for her to do a college course as work related training. Someone saw her working, reported her to the DWP and an investigation was launched. Her benefits were stopped outright including her housing benefit which put her under massive stress as she was worried she'd end up homeless, and she was also unable to feed herself as the money she was earning went straight to paying her rent so she didn't end up with massive arrears. She was also interviewed under caution at the benefits agencies offices as she was now under suspicion of benefit fraud. My wife went around one night to find her sitting in the dark with no heating or hot water (she couldn't afford to top-up her pre-payment meters) and nothing that she could eat. Although she appreciated it, she did say that she felt like she had been humiliated by the DWP as my wife put £50 on both her meters and bought her some shopping that would last her a couple of weeks (which was repaid even though we weren't expecting it). Unfortunately, she ended up having a psychotic episode and was more or less back to square one as she couldn't work and her college work went right out of the window and she failed that. In the space of the 10 weeks it took the benefits agency to sort out that she wasn't doing anything wrong, she'd lost everything she'd worked bloody hard for and had relapsed. She's now solely ESA and will be for quite a long time due to someone not having all the facts, whereas she'd now probably have had a full time position and off benefits.
I expect the friend was invented in order to bash benefit claimants. If they do exist I feel sorry that they have such an unsupportive friend.
Agree, people need to realise the consequences of wrongful complaints, they can really set people back.
that wouldn't surprise me, maybe it is his imaginary friends who is doing this :-D
This thread is going nowhere. There is absolutely no advice to be given here aside from to talk to her to find out 100% and I mean One Hundred percent that it's fraud and not within the guidelines. Assuming, or just thinking you know is just not good enough.
Only after knowing for sure should you be wondering what to do about it.
Personally I would not be able to sleep at night if I brought that amount of stress and panic into someone's life that has depression and I was wrong about it.
Does she actually run over to your house waving her wage slip in your face or fanning herself with the cash while she brags about how much she earns helping out on the disabled school bus for a couple of hours a day or something? how do you know the full story of her income? you don't. how do you know what she is claiming and if it is entitled? she can work for 16 hours a week while claiming and surely a couple of hours a day on the school bus falls into those hours. maybe just maybe those couple of hours a day will be helping her build the confidance she needs to get back into full time employment and leave ESA. what will you moan about when that happens? the fact her job pays less than yours yet she has nicer blinds! you've called her a "friend" so how about you go and talk to your "friend" instead of splashing her buisness on a thread on the internet. find your balls and ask her if this work is allowed. she may clear it up because at the minute it sounds like your just clutching at straws and coming up with your own answers when in reality you probably know nothing about her illness and her income.
Yes, you were!
well said, i agree
If it's not declared then the DWP could investigate and, depending on the amount of fraud, prosecute.