Why cheats get away with it

I expect everyone has heard the new advert "ever had the feeling someone is watching you? Well if you're a benefit thief there's a good chance someone is."

It makes me laugh. I phoned the much publicised Benefit Fraud Hotline to try and report some benefit cheats. As a person with a severely limiting illness I find myself being constantly hounded and persecuted by the benefits agency.

Even though I have more proof than they could ever need to make a decision, they obviously feel that because I am vulnerable I will be easy to scare off and refuse to read the documentation sent to them.

Whilst this is going on, there are people ripping off the system claiming to be ill when they could be working, and I was fed up with it.

I thought it was time some of these people got their comeuppance so I phoned full of righteous indignation. The young lady I spoke too started off by insinuating that I was in the wrong for phoning in the first place.

When we finally got to giving the evidence she said "this call will last approximately 50 minutes. Then if we decide to go ahead it will be at least eight months before we even begin an investigation".

It is clear why so many get away with fraud for years. The systems set up to stop them simply can't be bothered to even attempt to catch them.

That's why the advert makes me laugh, It should say "ever had the feeling someone is watching you? Well if you're a benefit cheat its very unlikely they are so carry on regardless."

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