Sick note culture

[english zloty]

https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/mum-of-three-admits-ps140000-benefit-fraud-carried-out-over-almost-10-years-683075
 

by my maths at current rates of payment out of benefits that’s a cool 107 years

[Roger Mexico]

34 minutes ago, english zloty said:

https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/mum-of-three-admits-ps140000-benefit-fraud-carried-out-over-almost-10-years-683075
 

by my maths at current rates of payment out of benefits that’s a cool 107 years

Not quite.  According to that:

The benefit overpayment totalled £141,461.35 and covered a period of more than nine years between May 2013 and October 2022.

[...] The court heard that that the defendant had paid back £1,025 and was having £30 a week deducted from her benefits. She had also agreed to set up a standing order for a further payment of £25 a week.

Which I reckon comes to a mere 49.1 years (you may have missed the standing order).

More interesting is the final sentence: A proceeds of crime hearing will take place in June.  Which I can't remember from a benefits case before.

The really extraordinary thing is how long it took to notice that she was being supported by this guy.  They're supposed to have been together 13 years.

[CallMeCurious]

6 hours ago, Roger Mexico said:

Not quite.  According to that:

The benefit overpayment totalled £141,461.35 and covered a period of more than nine years between May 2013 and October 2022.

[...] The court heard that that the defendant had paid back £1,025 and was having £30 a week deducted from her benefits. She had also agreed to set up a standing order for a further payment of £25 a week.

Which I reckon comes to a mere 49.1 years (you may have missed the standing order).

More interesting is the final sentence: A proceeds of crime hearing will take place in June.  Which I can't remember from a benefits case before.

The really extraordinary thing is how long it took to notice that she was being supported by this guy.  They're supposed to have been together 13 years.

A suspended sentence of 18 months or two months for every year of fraud.

Presumably the amount owed will be attracting interest the same as if they had underpaid income taxes or VAT?  Especially if it will be paid back at a rate of £55 a week.

Or is it in effect an interest free loan at the taxpayers expense?

 

[A fool and his money.....]

On 4/19/2024 at 10:48 AM, 2112 said:

A lot of what you say applies here, and remember that ex MHK Chris Robertshaw tried to address this issue, but sadly made a complete dogs breakfast of things. Many who can’t work could work with the right support, encouragement, carrot and stick and incentives. 

To be fair, he'd have needed to get thousands of people off the sick to offset the waste of public money that was his two terms as an MHK. A truly horrible man.

[Whiskey]

Maybe if people weren’t having to wait for so long for appointments they’d get better more quickly. 

[PhotoMan]

The problem with these purges on people that are abusing the system is that the genuine cases always get caught up in the cross-fire.

A few years ago Government brought in a company, Dependability Ltd, at great expense to try and 'weed out the abusers'.  Although successful in a small number of cases, in their shambolic efforts they totally destroyed the lives of some genuine claimants who's only crime was to be ill.  I experienced the physical and mental abuse, the dishonesty and outright lies carried out by Dependability assessors and some MHK's.  All carried out at a time when I was really unwell and in no position to stick up for myself, let alone fight back.

Robertshaw started the witch-hunt but Eddie Teare was the worst culprit and driving force behind it when he was Treasury Minister.  He continually lied in Tynwald regarding the whole procedure of the assessments, of which I documented and showed to a few MHK's/MLC's.  Although a couple were sympathetic and questioned Eddie Teare in Tynwald, nothing was done and nobody held accountable, as usual.

I'm not saying these assessments are not needed or shouldn't be performed, but they should be performed by qualified health professionals that fully understand your illness, and treat you humanely and with respect.  More importantly, assessors must report on claimants health honestly.  If they are proved to have lied, which I proved on numerous occasions, then they should be prosecuted.  It's Fraud!  If I'd have lied at any point to gain Benefits I wasn't entitled to then Government wouldn't be shy in prosecuting me.