How to maximise my income?

[dulwichdahlia]

I am looking for advice on how to maximise my income.

I understand a hot tip is to claim that you are a single, sick and unemployed. This entitles you to a nice housing association flat in a nice leafy area, all repairs and decoration done for free. And then the rent is paid by housing benefit. You don't ever have to pay Council Tax. On top of that you get this lovely weekly payment of Income Support, and the really ace thing is, you also get a supplement for being sick! And on top of that again, Disability Living Allowance? The only thing to remember is not to push your luck too far, and go living with your partner in the said free flat, coming and going in the lovely expensive car you've bought from the proceeds, and then trying to claim yet another benefit - severe disability supplement? - while simultaneously energetically running a local business in full view. Of course if you've been getting away with the whole thing for a decade or so, you might just get so brass necked that you would over do it. And then you'd get found out. How sad.

Anyone been running this kind of thing for a decade or more and would like to share just exactly how to go about it? Much appreciated.

[macroban]

Try phoning 0800 854 440 for free advice.

[Guest]

Do you actually have any evidence of someone behaving exactly as you describe or are you just having a rant? Personally I can't see how you could make it work without having some kind of undeclared income or other fiddle on the side if you want to be able to run - let alone buy - an 'expensive car'.

[HonaloochieB]

You're not referring to me are you?

If you are, expect a stiffish one from my people.

[dulwichdahlia]

I have sent you a PM, Ms B. And meanwhile, how they work it is this: married couple pretend to have split up. One of them clams housing, and all the benefits, as a single person, while they in fact moved in and have lived together at all times. No-one knows that all the benefit claims are being made for a long time, because outwardly, they are fairly affluent people who live together, socialise, shop and work together. Except the man always leaves unusually early. Once the claims are up and running, the money just keeps on getting paid into the bank account. It's only going to come to light by accident.

Here are a few calculations:

HB paid weekly 52 weeks x 10 years at an average of ?80 per week (because the rent is already subsidised as a HA rent);

plus the amount the Housing Association allocates for maintenance and admin of the property - about ?2000 per annum;

Income Support at ?73 per week after the first year: ?52 x ?52 x 1 year plus ?73 x ?52 x 9 years

Plus a Disability Premium to Income Support at I believe about ?30 per week: 52 x ?30 x 10

Plus Disability Living Allowance, I think?: minimum about ?30 x ?52 x ?10

Plus Council Tax paid for them at average of ?600 x 10 years

Plus I think NI contributions will have been paid all this time to give the person a pension...

Anyone want to calculate that? What should happen to people who deliberately set out to do this, and keep on doing it, year after year, while the rest of us subsidise them through tax and NI? Any suggestions?

[PeckhamRose]

OutofworkingClassicide?

[Jah Lush]

Brilliant! Thanks for the tips DulwichDahlia. I'm off down the social first thing Monday morning. Bollocks to working for a living.

[annaj]

So, dulwichdahlia, you registered yesterday and started two slightly odd threads, that could well be connected.

To say you obviously have and agenda would be an understatement.

If you know of someone commiting fraud, or any other crime, you should report it to the relevent authorities. If you don't know for sure, but are speculating, then this is nothing but gossip and tittle-tattle that could be very damaging.

[citizenED]

There is a better way. Get a directorship of a major company. Work a few mornings a week. Wear an expensoive suit, shout at a few underlings, re-structure the company so that you have made your mark. Leave the post early and pocket your six-figure bonus. Sorted.

[dulwichdahlia]

That's just exactly how every criminal justifies their behaviour. There are bigger criminals than I am.

Narcissism. Self pity. Why should I have to do it right, when everyone else is thieving/lying/cheating? I'm special, I am. I deserve not to have to go out to work or pay any tax.

And then the whole system for supporting the genuinely needy, sick and desperate, which was the hard-built product of a law-abiding society, gets dismantled, due to sheer weight of thieves.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Wish I had a ? for every couple I have met over the decades where,"ostensibly",the Lady now lives on her own with all the financial relief available bit "in reality" the Guy still lives there.,Admittedly I have not heard of this happening since someone told me of their own situation on,er,FRiday just gone....

[SeanMacGabhann]

A reminder about the forum's terms and conditions at this point - no naming of individuals

Oh and Tony - I'm guessing if you had a ? for every couple you mention you could, oooh I dunno, buy a meal at Franklins.

[Asset]

Cripes, I wish it were as easy now as it was in the late eighties when I did my sponging of the state. Now it's really difficult and you get peanuts to live on.

[dulwichdahlia]

Asset Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Cripes, I wish it were as easy now as it was in

> the late eighties when I did my sponging of the

> state.

You sponged the state? Most people just managed a cupboard, or possibly a wall. Any rag-rolling?

I don't think it is really difficult to "sponge" though. Looks to be really, really, easy, especially given the high level of toleration by large nos of people who know exactly what the flat/house/business next door is up to.

Getting a flat or house, just handed to you, and permanently subsidised, up to 100% - most people can't even afford a deposit, can they? Plus all the income, and no contributions from you, ever....Works out at the equivalent of earning about ?60k gross. Not peanuts, a very large amount of money.

[Asset]

yes, but theoretical money is very different from money in the hand.

BTW, I meant to say sponging 'of' the state so don't get all pedantic on me.

[????]

DD - you forgot to add signed off as unable work by your doctor to the list....several million

[Sharon_H]

dulwichdahlia Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Asset Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Cripes, I wish it were as easy now as it was in

> > the late eighties when I did my sponging of the

> > state.

>

> You sponged the state? Most people just managed a

> cupboard, or possibly a wall. Any rag-rolling?

>

> I don't think it is really difficult to "sponge"

> though. Looks to be really, really, easy,

> especially given the high level of toleration by

> large nos of people who know exactly what the

> flat/house/business next door is up to.

>

> Getting a flat or house, just handed to you, and

> permanently subsidised, up to 100% - most people

> can't even afford a deposit, can they? Plus all

> the income, and no contributions from you,

> ever....Works out at the equivalent of earning

> about ?60k gross. Not peanuts, a very large

> amount of money.

Never have I heard or seen anyone getting a flat or house "handed to them" because they were on income support or Incapacity benefit. Nor do people on income support get DLA. I understand you might have a gripe or 2 but get things straight. DLA is related to incapacity benefit and is usually paid to people who are seriously ill.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> A reminder about the forum's terms and conditions

> at this point - no naming of individuals>

> Oh and Tony - I'm guessing if you had a ? for

> every couple you mention you could, oooh I dunno,

> buy a meal at Franklins.

....Just remembered it was two not one on Friday alone...Guy who was a friend of a friend who I gave a lift too and another Guy who I had not seen at the Racetrack where I work for a year who had a similar story to tell...

Me?..I no nothing..as the Guy in Hogans Heroes used to say...:))...must go I'm watching the last 10 minutes of a "Bridge Too Far"..I want to see who Won...

[dulwichdahlia]

Sharon_H Wrote:

Nor do people on income support get DLA. I understand you

> might have a gripe or 2 but get things straight.

> DLA is related to incapacity benefit and is

> usually paid to people who are seriously ill.

Hi Sharon - I have checked what you wrote, above, and I'm afraid you are completely wrong. People on income support do get DLA. Here is a link to the Department of Work and Pensions website: DWP website

which I also quote directly here [quote name=Effect on other benefits and entitlements

If you start to get Disability Living Allowance it might increase the amount of other benefits or credits you're entitled to' date=' such as Income Support, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.

Disability Living Allowance is normally ignored as income for working out these income-related benefits and credits.]

I don't find your other point has any validity either. The point that was being made is that female criminals are getting housing by claiming that they are single, when they in fact have a partner, who supports them financially, and who, in reality, lives in the property with them once they have obtained it by fraud. They have to tell a lot of lies of course, but it seems that for some people, that just isn't a problem. The bare faced, brass necked, deep dyed, non-stop criminal brazen lying that benefit/housing fraudsters get rich by, does not seem to be a problem for them at all, it is their way of life.

[Moos]

Dulwichdahlia, what is the point of your thread? I would imagine that if you polled the EDF most people would say that they think fraud is a Bad Thing. I personally am not aware of anyone mis-claiming benefits. It seems you are. What do you want us to discuss?

[dulwichdahlia]

Something you can do to discourage organised crime if you live in Southwark:

I understand last year that Southwark say they lost at least ?1,000,000 to housing and council tax benefit thieves. That's just the money that comes out of the local authority, it doesn't include the rest of the benefits, like the income support etc, which come out of central taxation.

I would like to see that money go to people who are looking after their disabled children with almost no support, to people struggling to look after a parent or partner with Alzheimer's.

You also have to factor in that when criminals who own/occupy other property, or can afford to do so on the same basis as everyone one, scam themselves some housing association/council housing as well, they are keeping a genuine person or couple out, they're taking a flat here so that NHS workers and firemen and police have to live up to 100 miles away, they're keeping women who are really victims of domestic violence living in terror because they are so frightened of ending up on the street, or at best living in B&Bs and hostels - at more huge expense to everyone else.

Far too much of it going on, too much silence from those who know who is doing it, too much treating it as a joke.

Why am I going on about it - because I am sick of being surrounded by criminals whose behaviour is being used to justify the destruction of the welfare state, and the NHS and the peak of civilization and decency that they embody.

All the "getting tough" rhetoric is going to make the genuinely ill and the dying suffer, but you can hardly blame the DWP etc workers for their cynicism, can you?

[Bellenden Belle]

Dulwichdahlia,

You seem to be expending an awful lot of energy on this. And you don't seem to be interested in engaging with those who post on the thread. Call the fraud hotline if you have evidence.... otherwise I suggest a cup of tea, a nice deep breath, and a walk in the fresh air.

[Sharon_H]

Dulwichdahlia

I'm not completely wrong, people who get DLA may get income support, but the DLA comes first not the other way around. You also have to be very ill to get DLA in the first place.

No more from me on this subject.

[dulwichdahlia]

That's very obviously not true, "Bellenden Belle".

I have replied to several people - to the people who have engaged with the subject of this thread, when I have been on line and free to be able to reply.

There would not be any point getting engaged with others, who are not on topic, and making extraneous, irrelevant or mischievous comments.

You yourself have made no comment at all about the subject matter, which is important to all of us, and highly topical, but simply posted lengthy personal abuse. Hence, perhaps I could suggest that you take your own advice, and if you have nothing constructive or relevant to say, don't say anything.

[Keef]

dulwichdahlia Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi Sharon - I have checked what you wrote, above, and I'm afraid you are completely wrong. People on income support do get DLA. >

That is a total nonsense. DLA (disability living allowance) is a non means tested benefit for people of working age that require care, and/or help getting around. It is divided in to 2 components, care and mobility, both of which can be paid at higher or lower rates (or middle in the case of the care component).

You could be working full time and earning ?40k and still qualify for this benefit. Now there are of course people getting DLA who probably could do without, or have blagged it a bit, but you do have to require medical records, and doctor/medical specialist details.

It is certainly not a "premium"that they just add on to income support.

For the record, if a person is over 65, and not already getting DLA, they would need to apply for Attendance Allowance (AA) INSTEAD.