The problem with DPFs is not just with citroens.Vauxhall are the same what Vauxhall do not tell you when buying a car is that most of their diesel engines are not suitable for short journeys starting and stopping ie running to the shop taking the kids to school etc.When you buy a 7seater car a Zafira you buy it becuase you have kids to take to school etc.Vauxhall engines are made from butter they are useless.I have dealt with my dealership customer service customer complaints Gmac who Vauxhall use for their finance they are all no help at all when something goes wrong with your car.I for one will never buy another Vauxhall.

If you read your own post it you say that a single parent going to work 16 hours a week will earn more than a MAN working for 37 hours a week or more.That must be a good incentive for anyone to go to work to be better off.How many hours a week would you like a single parent to work a week to be better off? Dont forget now this single parent could have a couple of children to raise as well as go to work a house to run chilcare etc etc.People are not happy when single parents are claiming benefit and not working. Now people are not happy that a single parent can go to work and earn a wage to help look after their family. It puzzles me why people think that anyone on benefits is running around having a good time and they are happy to be claiming benefit.Most people on benefit struggle every week to buy gas elec food etc.People on benefits are living on the poverty line they get the basic amount to live on every week.The basic amount to live on buys you the basic food etc etc. I could go on for years and years to quote you jack1966 but i think i will just spend the rest off my night thinking about how i could maybe start a new career having loads of kids and getting the goverment to keep me and my family and if im really smart about it my claim could go on for years and years.

Reorete. Why would you think anyone on cag would try to frighten the op.He has come on here looking advice.I and others have told the op of our experience of dealing with the dwp or what could happen or what might happen. Do you think that if the op goes to the benefit agency and holds his hands up and admits he is guilty and makes a joint claim that this is all just going to go away somehow? I dont think thats the way it works not for the amount of money the op is talking about.Surely if that was the case the op would have been told at the time of interview admit to benefit fraud and make a joint claim and we will let the matter drop. Your lucky you have got away with benefit fraud twice.I guess you must be the expert how to deal with it. Getting accused of benefit fraud once was enough for me and it took almost three years of my life away worrying about what the final outcome would be for my family.

Hi Sweetiepie. After the icu all the information will go to a decision maker to decide if you have recived a overpayment of benefit. This will take a bit longer than the week they said at the interview.If the decision maker decides that on the balance of probabilities you have been living together they will send you out a letter telling you the amount off overpaid benefit. It all depends on the amount off overpayment what sort of action the dwp will take next. When i went for my appeal for a overpayment the appeal panel ask me questions like Did my alleged partner pay and of my household bills. Did he buy any shopping for my household. Did he cut my grass. Did he drive my car. Did he ever take my kids to school. Did he ever do any diy in my home. Did any of my friends family or neighbours consider us to be a couple. Was there any proof of a sexual relationship. So while the dwp have a paper trail leading from this man to you at the minute it seems to be all they have.There is more to a person living together than letting someone use your address to get some letters sent from work etc. If you have not been living with this man all you have been guilty of is been a bit naive regarding letting him use your home address.Also the dwp will be hoping if they put enough pressure on you that you will admit to benefit fraud. I was told my money would be stopped if the desision maker decided i had been living with a partner.They cannot just say oh within a week a persons money will be stopped they will need to give you a valid reason. If your money does get stopped you can appeal the desision or you can start a fresh claim and appy for crisis loans to tide you over. Regards st24 "If you have nothing nice to say then say nothing at all.”

My case is now closed.The person who was employed to carry out the investigation into me for some reason felt the need to tell lies in there observations regarding when my car was parked at my home address. They said over a period of a week that there was times my car was parked at my home address and times it was not parked at my address.they also lied about where they carried out there observations from in my street.It was not possible to see my home or car from were they claimed. The week they claimed my car was at my home was lies because i was on holiday that week and my car was parked at the airport car park which i could prove.They infact told lots of lies which i could prove where lies. I got all the information they held on my case to appeal there decision that i was living with a partner.When i got all the information that was held it was only then i found out about all the lies that had been told. This is one reason i would not recommend anyone to admit to benefit fraud because you do not know if the investigation into your case for fraud has been carried out properly.You will not know all the facts until you appeal and get all the information. I did not have to go to court the case was dropped by the dwp only because i could prove they had done things wrong. I still had to appeal the overpayment but the appeal panel believed my version off events and that my car was parked at the airport. It is in the best intrests of the person who carried out the investigation into your claim for benefit to get you to admit your guilt because they are on peformance related pay.So the more people they catch the bigger pay packet at the end of the month. It was also intresting that the person who investigated my claim to benefit and carried out the obs on my home and done my icu interview is no longer working for the civil service anymore. When my complaint about the way this person carried out they job they resigned a month later.I have a thread on cag about my problems if you can find it . I know its hard not to worry about the situation your in at the minute i was the same but its not the end of the world and you will get through this. Good Luck

Its strange they cannot find any letters that tells them when you claimed benefits. When i was accused of benefit fraud they had all my previous income support forms and all my previous housing benefit forms i had filled in to claim the benefits.They had the forms from 1996 until 2007 when i was called down for my icu. My alleged partner at the time was able to go down to our local dhss office and get a print out of all the times he was claiming benefit.He done this so i could say he was claiming benefits at a certain time and also to prove he had a different address from me. Have you tried going to your local dhss office where you made your claim for jsa to see if they can tell you when you where on benefits.

I Have Had Three interviews Under Caution.They might have more evidence against your wife i am only guessing this. When they called me back down for another icu it was to confirm that it was my signature on my housing benefit forms. This could be why they want you back down to confirm something like that. The only way you are going to know is to attend the icu. Regards

Thank You

It can take months for the dwp to gather all the facts to make a case. If someone commits a offence during the period of a claim it does not matter if you have signed off now. They can still get you to attend a icu because it relates to the previous claim period.

Where you not told at the icu that if the dwp decided you have commited benefit fraud that they could stop your money because you were no longer entitled to income support. You need to contact income support to see if your benefit has been stopped because they have decided you are no longer entitled to income support because you have a partner living with you. I would have thought they would need more evidence than a couple of work letters to stop your money maybe i am wrong. The Dwp usually have a lot more information than a couple of letters when they ask you for a iuc.I would not think a couple of letters would count as living together as husband and wife. That is not proof that any man is paying your bills or buying your shopping or cutting your grass normal things that a couple do that live together. You can appeal a decision if it has been made to stop your benefit but you really need to find out the reason it has been stopped. Good Luck

Hi I was in the same sitution when i attended my icu they had lots of paperwork bank statements birth cert of my son credit reports etc.I was shocked that the dwp could get all this info on me. The DWP have put the facts of the case to you and now its up to you and your wife to decide on whats the best way to deal with it. I would not admit to anything you are just making the case against your wife stronger by admiting you have done something wrong.This is only my opinion it is up to you. You can appeal against any decision that your wife has recived a overpayment.You will then get all the information they have regarding your wifes case.You can decide when you have read through all the paperwork if you think you have grounds for appeal. The decision for the overpayment is made on the balance of probability if you have been living together as husband and wife. I do not feel this balance of probability is a fair way to make decision on someone living together.At least if you are taken to court it is a case of inoccent until proven guilty.Also when you go to court it is a case of beyond all reasonable doubt.Not this balance of probability rubbish. I think when a overpayment is over £2000 pounds the dwp will see if it is in the public intrests to take you to court.They wiil contact there own solicitors to see if there is enough evidence to make a case for court. There is lots of things that can be taken in to account like did your wife claim the money because she wanted a new car and a holiday or did she claim because she needed to put food in the childrens mouths and clothes on there back.Was it a case of need or greed. Some peope on the forum will tell you it is better to hold your hands up and admit to fraud as soon as possible and it might be better for you. I have said if it was me i would not admit to anything its really up to you and your wife need to decide the best way for you both to deal with it. The website below has some good information on it if you want to take a look. How to handle an interview under caution 4 Good Luck With Whatever you decide to do.

I got a letter saying the same thing as above.I was not worried because i knew i had not done any work at all. When i attened the iuc it was nothing about me working i was getting accused of living with a partner. Sometimes they are not upfront about the true reason they want to interview you.If you decide to attend the iuc beware they could interview for something else ie living with a partner. You will not be able to defend yourself because they will have got all the information against you already and you will not be prepared to defend yourself against a allegation of say living with a partner. It should say on the bottom of the letter somewhere that they you will not get legal aid to pay for a solicitor. Some people seem to be able to get a solicitor to go with them.When i attended my iuc i could not get a solicitor to attend with my because when you are on income support you cannot afford one. A solicitor cannot speak on your behalf anyway you must anwser the questions put to you yourself.If you are not sure weather you should anwser a question or not you can say NO COMMENT or you are free to leave the icu at anytime. You can take on board the advice you are given on this forum but its up to you to decide which way is best for you to deal with this letter. Good Luck

Is This Scheme aviailable in Northern Ireland?

When i got a letter to go for a iuc the letter stated they wanted to interview me because they believed i had been working while claiming income support.I was not worried about attending because i had not done any work in the period of my claim. When i then attened the iuc it was not about me working at all.The whole interview was to accuse me of living with a partner.So beware the letter they have sent could say one thing then when you attend the interview it could be something else they really want to interview you about. Regards st24

Mikey dabodee. Its another way for you to be punished for benefit Fraud. Section 155A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 as amended by Section 15 of the Social Security Administration (Fraud) Act 1997 allows us to apply a penalty as an alternative to prosecution at 30 per cent of the total overpayment. Upon accepting the penalty the claimant has 28 days to change their mind. If a penalty is not accepted or is withdrawn the local authority must be prepared to prosecute, therefore all cases must be up to prosecution standard. Administrative penalties will generally be considered for fraudulent overpayments of up to £2000 if it is in the public interest. In the majority of these cases we will make an offer of a 30 per cent penalty of the amount of the overpayment. The Penalty amount will be added to the overpayment, which is recoverable. It should be noted that the offer of a Penalty will be made in a special interview. Penalties can only be offered if the case could be brought to prosecution. The offender will be told at the interview: It is not an interview under caution Acceptance of the Penalty is not a declaration of guilt The recovery of the Penalty will occur in the same way as the recovery of the Overpayment They have 28 days in which to change their mind should they accept the Penalty, in the event of nonacceptance prosecution may be instituted Failure to repay the debt or default on instalments will result in them facing civil proceedings for recovery. All Interviews Under Caution will be conducted by the Benefit Fraud Investigation Officer and any Administrative Penalty interviews will be conducted by an appropriate senior officer.