3 ponies and on social benefits!

My husband and I run a business together, if I wanted to claim disability I could as my Dr gives his full support for me to do so.

I am ill but to look at me you would not really know as I hide it very well. I know if I did claim I would have people looking onto my life and judging so I do not claim anything. I should goodness we pay more than the average person in tax as we have assets and no loans or mortgage. I have two horses and a huge farm, I am sure if someone saw me ride they would call in to complain, what they do not see however is my bad days where I need help to climb the stairs or get in and out of the Range Rover. Basically it is easy to judge without knowing the full facts. I do not really talk of my illness here where I live, people see me when I am having good days, the bad ones are hidden behind closed doors.
 
call the hotline.

My taxes shouldnt be paying for someones horses, thats how I see it.

I earn an honest living to afford mine and so do most people. some think they are 'owed' it or if its there offered they should take it whether they are legitmately entitled or not, when actually they are just scroungers who are a drain on the rest of the country.

horses are a luxury, not something benefits should be paying for.
 
If you think they are taking the piss out of the system report them, if they are legit it wont be a problem to them, if they aint you did the good citizen deed and did us all a favour.

I was under the impresssion that council housing was for people on lower incomes and couldn't afford there own place, so they had somewhere to live, is that not the case or has it changed ?
 
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I thought that too......that they were for lower income families, people who had been made homeless etc etc......I don't think just anyone can suddenly decide to live in council housing.....

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Council housing isn't just for low income families. That's affordable/social housing which is different
 
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If you think they are taking the piss out of the system report them, if they are legit it wont be a problem to them, if they aint you did the good citizen deed and did us all a favour.

I was under the impresssion that council housing was for people on lower incomes and couldn't afford there own place, so they had somewhere to live, is that not the case or has it changed ?

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No this isn't the case. Anyone can go on the council house list, but in most areas if you are not a priority case you will be on the list for ever!

Priorities are vulnerable people, people who are made homeless, etc.

However once you are in a council house you can stay in it forever and pass the right to that home on to your relatives in certain circumstances.

So if you have a council house and then win £56million on euro millions you could stay in it legitimately despite not being on a low income or entitled to any benefits.

Whether this is right or not is a different debate but just because someone is in a council house does not mean that they are claiming benefits.

At the end of the day the OP cannot know these peoples precise circumstances but if she suspects fraud she should report it. She does need to be aware though that her suspcsions may be wrong. There are situations where people have hidden disabilities, or where finances and family circumstances are not clear cut. This is why she should report her conceerns and let the authorities investigate.
 
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Because if they didn't have horses, then it's quite possible they wouldn't need to claim income support... Horses are a luxury, if you have to claim income support (which is YOUR and MY money, paid for by OUR taxes) then surely you should have different priorities. However, do you (OP) have proof that they're committing fraud?

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The government to not give you money to keep horses. They don't see that you have them and then say 'ah well, you have horses, you aren't entitled to benefits'!

Benefits are calculated on your income if you have work or you recieve job seekers allowance etc if you don't. We occasionally claim housing benefit as OH's job is quite seasonal and he is self employed. Some months he doesn't earn a penny.

However, we have 3 horses. They live on fresh air, are out 24/7 and the field rental is only £25 a month. We don't smoke, don't drink, don't go out and rarely buy clothes. We walk whenever possible to save on fuel costs, grow veggies and I shop for bargains when doing the grocery shopping.

If someone on benefits drinks and smokes I bet they spend more a month on those items than I do on my horses, yet would you see someone you know is on benefits smoking in the street and shop them because you think they must be cheating the system because they can afford cigarettes?

Be careful and get facts right before accusing people.
 
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I was under the impresssion that council housing was for people on lower incomes and couldn't afford there own place, so they had somewhere to live, is that not the case or has it changed ?

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There are plenty of people who have been on low incomes in the past, or homeless etc. who are in council housing. Unfortunately with house prices making private ownership impossible for many people, no matter how their income may improve they will have to remain as tenants. Yes, they could rent privately, but in many areas this costs twice what council rents are.
 
Report it and leave it to the authorities to decide as they will have access to all relevant info.If they are claiming legitimately no damage done other than annoyance,if not correct well hopefully they lose benefits.
 
Hmmmmmmm this sounds VERY familiar......

If they were to read this post, they would certainly be blushing
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If you think these people are claiming dishonestly I would report them however if you think they are spending benefits on the wrong things ie horses I would say leave alone as that is there business, as a post above says they may be doing without other things.

Apparently the biggest source of benefit fraud is unscrupulous landlords claiming for bogus properties and bogus tenants, often I am told those who use a multitude of names. I wish the powers that be target this big scale theft as a priority rather than a family who may of may not be defrauding.
 
Ok, so what happens to the horses when said people possibly get their benefits removed??
Do they get sold to dealers quickly as they cannot afford them anymore? or worse, pts??

Be very, very careful what you are saying unless you actually KNOW the full story - not just the bit you can see.

Im not saying its right, but there is always 2 sides to a story.
 
Please do report them if they are fully legit then they have nothing to worry about. I resent paying tax for benefit thieves to live the lofe of riley . I like most of us work damn hard to afford our horses. I have reported fraudsters in the past and it was completely anonymous. If they are fiddling then they may as well be robbing pensoiners!
 
Just wondering how you know they are claiming these benefits?? Just because someone lives in council house doesn't mean they claim benefits. I have to live in a council house but I pay for everything. Others may presume I get help but I don't..
They may just get a little help to top up what hubby earns. Or get tax credit???

Be sure before you report them! otherwise any help they may get will stop while they investigate which will take months....then what happens to ponies then
 
Yes...but they 'may or may not' be defrauding the likes of me and you who pay our taxes and work our tits off to able to own horses.....

Report 'em....if they are claining legit. no harm done.

Personally....*prepares to get shot down*.... if people are in need of benefits in order to be able to have somewhere decent to live and to buy food and clothes etc...fair enough...BUT horses are a LUXURY, not a necessity...and as far as I know the state does not provide for luxuries, or it shouldn't do...(if it does, I want a a hot-tub)...benefit money shouldn't go on horses, if you have that amount of money left over from benefits to pay for horses then frankly, you have been 'paid' too much and I want my money back thankyou.
 
So what happens if the employed lose their jobs? In my case, the horse would have to be sold. The fact is benefits are there to help people survive when times are hard. They shouldn't be used to supplement luxuries like a horse. Why do some people expect to get what they want without doing a damn thing to earn it?

The coronary is building up.
 
I am a single parent, and have 1 horse. i work fullt time (40 hrs a week) rent a house (not council, private) and im entitled to nothing! it makes me sick!
if OH is working then its illegal for her to claim (surely!).
i work my little behind off to have what i want cause i dont want to be a stastic!
i suppose though if they can get away with it they will!
 
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Because if they didn't have horses, then it's quite possible they wouldn't need to claim income support... Horses are a luxury, if you have to claim income support (which is YOUR and MY money, paid for by OUR taxes) then surely you should have different priorities. However, do you (OP) have proof that they're committing fraud?

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The government to not give you money to keep horses. They don't see that you have them and then say 'ah well, you have horses, you aren't entitled to benefits'!

Benefits are calculated on your income if you have work or you recieve job seekers allowance etc if you don't. We occasionally claim housing benefit as OH's job is quite seasonal and he is self employed. Some months he doesn't earn a penny.

However, we have 3 horses. They live on fresh air, are out 24/7 and the field rental is only £25 a month. We don't smoke, don't drink, don't go out and rarely buy clothes. We walk whenever possible to save on fuel costs, grow veggies and I shop for bargains when doing the grocery shopping.

If someone on benefits drinks and smokes I bet they spend more a month on those items than I do on my horses, yet would you see someone you know is on benefits smoking in the street and shop them because you think they must be cheating the system because they can afford cigarettes?

Be careful and get facts right before accusing people.

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Agree with what she said!
And for those saying, report them, if they are ligit it wont do any harm, your wrong. They will put there money on hold, which can take months to sort out!! But dont worry about that a, 3 children and 3 ponies will have to go with out food. Next you will be here telling us your reporting them to the rspca because their ponies have lost weight!!!
Sorry, but my sister is a single parent of 3, she is on benefits and she finds it really hard to have what she does! (she doesnt have horses), but, still, she struggles, sometimes has no money for gas and electric, she has 3 kids!! Being on benefits isnt as good and easy as some of you might think!

Just make sure you are 100% before you do anything!
 
I'm confused as to how the OP knows so much about a family which presumably isn't their own, but hey ho, ring the cheatline but I do hope its not sour grapes.
 
Just going back to the benefits.....Incapacity and DLA are both NON means tested.

The husband can earn as much as he likes and it won't affect his wife if she gets those benefits.

Also people on the above two benefits are allowed to earn around £ 80 per week with out affecting their benefits. It used to be called therapeutic earnings. Don't know what it's called now but it still exists.

OP, get it checked out if you are genuinely concerned.
 
I sometimes wonder if they are right .. maybe we should all go on the dole it does seem how the present goverment want us to be, that is to be reliant on the state and feckless have plenty of kids no job contibute nothing and be well rewarded for it.. welfare state has been a breeding program for ferall scum , and just try and get some help if you need it because of some tempoary misfortune to get you back on your feet , no you have to give up and stop making any effort... then the state will sort it
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I'm confused as to how the OP knows so much about a family which presumably isn't their own, but hey ho, ring the cheatline but I do hope its not sour grapes.

[/ QUOTE ] My thoughts exactly! If she knows so much then surely she must be a close friend or similar. Who needs enemies and all that.
 
Poppymoo - well said - prepare for the shooters!

PS. I really feel I deserve a hot-tub. I work really hard, PAYING MY TAX AND NI. After a long day at work and looking after my husband, son, horse and dog, 20 mins in a hot tub with a glass of vino would be lovely.

On a more serious note, this post has clearly rialled a few people up, which these type of questions will always do. There are some very dishonest people out there either working cash in hand or self-employed people being creative with their books to produce a false picture of their income (obviously not everyone that owns a horse, lives in social housing, is self-employed, claims benefits, s**ts in the woods(!) is dishonest but you can't brush £900m of benefit fraud per year under the carpet.
 
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So what happens if the employed lose their jobs? In my case, the horse would have to be sold. The fact is benefits are there to help people survive when times are hard. They shouldn't be used to supplement luxuries like a horse. Why do some people expect to get what they want without doing a damn thing to earn it?

The coronary is building up.

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I didnt say i agreed with it did i??
My point is, that i suspect the OP has wrong intentions - unless they know for CERTAIN that what they have posted is the truth i would be skeptical about them reporting them.
Bigger picture than just getting one over on someone...
 
Most of that money is probably people that shouldnt even live in this country, along with most of the council houses and jobs that they get! But thats another topic
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Really Charlie? All the people I know of who do the double, live in houses paid for by dole-dropping, those who sub-let social housing, drive DLA cars, claim DLA and ask relatives to get themselves 'carers allowance' too, and and screw insurance claims, are all homegrown.

I'd rather have hard-up foreigners who need a hand into the workplace/housing market getting that money than people who make a career out of not getting a job (not saying the OP's case is this!)
 
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Most of that money is probably people that shouldnt even live in this country, along with most of the council houses and jobs that they get! But thats another topic
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Quite!
Ive just left HHO to show a family round my house that is for rent - its £1200 pcm.
Its 2 parents, 2 mid 20's children - all have jobs in London yet are getting DSS on the house?
If they have jobs why can they not pay themselves??
I dont get it!
 
Oh yes I agree, we all pay our taxes so why should we pay for those that are con artists but,


think of all the horse people out there who do business cash in hand via ' a gentlemans agreement' is that really any different. Thats still fraud but maybe cos its not associated with benefits / council houses its deemed more acceptable.
 
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I have horses, a huge farm my horses are kept in luxury and we have a well performing company, two actually, a Range Rover and a boat, no mortgage or loans. I am very ill with Lupus, Arthritis, anaemia (one IV drip a month) and raynaurds syndrome. My life is totally different to that of an able bodied person - I do not claim incapacity or whatever it is called, it is not means tested, by right I am entitled and the Dr would like me to do this.

We have well over a million pounds in assets that we pay tax on, we pay over 45% tax on our earnings. Should I or should I not claim...Opinions in the moral debate? Who is right who is wrong?

So I would be wrong to expect tax payers to 'pay' for the keep of my horses? Should I buy a hot tub for someone less fortunate than my husband and I because we have more assets/money through sheer hardwork?
 
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