By Isle of Wight Observer
Dear Editor,
Having lived and worked in London I learned that benefit fraud is not just tolerated, it is an acceptable way of life with both British born and those born overseas. Nobody seems to care or take any notice.
I worked in an office with a lady called Charmaine, who used her National Insurance number to claim all single parent benefits.
She used the same NI number to work in the office and, surprisingly, the Department of Work and Pensions never questioned her.
Charmaine’s partner, Evrol, faked illness to claim sickness and disability benefits whilst earning money working as a mechanic.
Housing benefit paid the rent on his council flat which he sub-let whilst living with Charmaine. They drove an expensive car and took their children to Sri Lanka or Jamaica for extended holidays.
Having always worked full-time and paid tax and NI, I felt angry. However, Charmaine was so naive and did not realise she was doing anything wrong. She told me about the fraudulent activities of her friends.
One friend lived in a detached house and drove a Land Rover. She claimed as a single mother with all the benefits including housing benefit. Her partner had bought the house with a mortgage and gave her a rent book to take to Housing Benefit. They both lived in luxury with housing benefit paying the mortgage.
The eastern European families are much wiser with their benefit fraud money. The man of the family will live for free with his partner, who is claiming to be a single mother. All his ‘cash in hand’ wages for building work gets invested in property in their own country.
Honest Islanders and the Government do not realise how widespread benefit fraud is and why Britain is known as ‘the land of milk and honey’.
Christine Harding, Carisbrooke