STBX Secretly working

I believe that my hopefully soon-to-be-ex is secretly working after many years of living off benefits. However, if she is working then she is keeping silent and deliberately not paying anything towards her children despite her change in circumstances.

Our kids have lived with me for over eight years and I have worked full time and paid for everything.

She recently turned up to pick up our Son for the weekend with a fairly new car (I am told by my Daughter that her Mother simply traded in her old banger (that was falling to bits) and received an upgrade at no extra cost!! New lamps for old?) Always the Walter Mitty.

Although after 10 years of financial struggle it does bother me that I now have a car much older than hers (that I scrimped for and is essential for getting me to work and kids to school etc) its that she has not declared this employment or offered to pay anything towards her kids.

Also she has had seven cars over the past 10 years while I am on my second after the last finally gave up.

I am considering confronting her but expect the usual lies and half truths.

She is progressing a Divorce based on 5 yrs separation (she has been sectioned in the past so I feel its better if she puts in the Divorce) so I am assuming that I will get full disclosure and bank statements for the past year?

Any thoughts?

It''s so easy to just give an anonymous phone call to the fraud benefit helpline and have her investigated. Not a very pretty practice (delation doesn''t come very high in the list of moral behaviors...) but sadly very effective.
I understand your frustation though.

You have been honourable for ten years taking care of your children and allowing your wife to stay in the marital home.

What would trying to discredit your wife to the authorities now do to improve your emotional and financial health.

Is it not just better to get divorced and accept what you have for years that is isn''t going to contribute to supporting your kids?

Hi Juliette0307, thanks for the response. I hope that she is working legitimately but what annoys me is that she hasn''t said a word to me about it, or offered any money if she is working.
I personally don''t want her money so I am going to confront her and then ask her to pay into savings funds for our kids future education and/or for specific things for them.

Hi Pipsqueekthefirst, In fact she left the family home and I stayed. She is now back pursuing me for her "fair share" which means a share of the family home in hard cash - which I can''t really afford as all my salary gets spent each month with few luxuries. So, if I have to raise a mortgage to pay her(I''m 49) it is going to hit us really hard.
If she is working then she should be supporting our kids financially so maybe it will be taking with one hand and giving with the other?