Thread: customer compliance officer due to visit

i recieved a letter saying regarding a query that has arisen in my claim, an officer will be visiting my home on 28th may....

i was claimin jsa, but my contributions had ran out, so i applied for income based and said that my circumstances had changed-i was living with my partner, but we had since split a couple of months ago, but still living together pretty much until i get a new job so can afford my own place again...
i got letter sayin i could claim income based,....then a few weeks later-yesturday i got this letter saying an officer would be visiting me regarding a query...
any ideas ...?? the letter just said i will need proof of id such as..passport, drivin lisence, bank statements, anything with name and address on...

we arent a couple anymore but pretty much still live like a couple..if he had work clothes that need washing when im doing my washing i will wash them, i occasionally cook cos i know he a bad cook, and saves makin tea for one...
we sleep in separate beds and have separate bedrooms now...

will they want to know private things like why we split etc?
also as i was in a hurry when i filled the new claim form out, i think i only put a have a few hundred in savings, and i duno wot i put for isa's ..but in fact i got 1300 in savings and bout 4000 in isa (i recently cashed in bonds that i dint know about)..this still adds to less that 6grand...but will it be such a major issue that i put loads less on the claim form( tbh i wasnt sure how much i had)...
someone please put my mind at ease..the visits not for a week and i dont wanna be stressing all week

I think they count things like you have stated above as "Couple /partner". I am in a similar situation at the moment because I share this accomodation with a friend and have done so for 10 years yet we are in no way involved and you have to make them aware of that as well. The officers are real sneaky and they will ask things like where do you sleep, who pays the rent, council tax, do you eat the food that you ex buys,etcetc.
Just say "I have to pay half for everything in relation to bills otherwise I will be kicked out of the house". Say you buy your own food and that you dont do anything for your ex. Infact say that you involved with another person as is your ex and you have no choice but to stay put until you can afford another place to live. Then put your name down on the housing. I will think of some more stuff when I speak to my cousin becuase they went to visit her so she should be able to tell me what they ask and look for.

the bills get paid by the landlord ( the landlord is actually my ex partners mother..its her house til she dies then its my ex's...but we each pay her 300 rent each month...council tax and most bills are included in that 300( cushty i know, hence i dont wanna move out yet---altho the jobcentre ppl dont know she is the landlord so i wil not mention this)..

...so i just tell them we go halves on food? and that we do our own washing and stuff...and that im kinda seeing someone else and think he is too...
jsa is approx 256 a month..my rent alone is 300...then i got my phone bill and dentist everymonth as well as food and travel costs to job hunt...if i was to move out the rent would be alot more plus id have bills on top too...surely they'd see why i'd prefer to live with my ex?

You can get rent and council tax reduced - I just did even though i live here with my mate. link http://www.entitledto.co.uk/
Then go here: lhttp://local.direct.gov.uk/LDGRedirect/index.jsp?LGSL=63&LGIL=0& ServiceName=Check your eligibility for Council Tax Benefit with your local council
Put in your post code etc and then start your claim. Print out at the end of the form (it's about 4 - 5 pages long) then send it off including the info it asks for. Remeber aswell to put down you are single and dont tick the box that says living with partner.
I reduced both rent and council tax by half each year.
Good luck.

my council tax is covered in my rent though..so im not too bothred about gettin a reduction there....to be honest im gettin a good deal rent wise, and im happy to just get my jsa, and use my savings to cover the rest...although i'd be much happier getting a job...im applying fo anything and hate being known as a "doley"...i got made redundant..not like it was my choice...

i rang the number connected to the visit yesturday to ask what the query was and she just said she wasnt in her office but that it was probably just to make sure there had been no changes in my circumstances....just makes me wonder why they cant just ask me at the jobcentre as i will be ther on tues to sign on...
we are getting the landlord to make a new contract to state that we are just friends living together until i have enough money to move out..

Originally Posted by angelbear2k

my council tax is covered in my rent though..so im not too bothred about gettin a reduction there....to be honest im gettin a good deal rent wise, and im happy to just get my jsa,

But if you don't convince them that you can't survive without the money then you won't get anything from them then the money for your rent will have to come from somewhere else so may aswell get it to cover the cost of things. Your JSA is what they give you to survive on and they will want to know how you are going to pay your rent on just JSA alone. You have to think outside the box on this one otherwise you might end up with nothing. WHo pays your rent for you? If your ex does then they might see that as a partnership or couple and you will get nothing if they earn more than £16k a year etc.
Who pays your rent????

They only usually visit to make sure your telling the truth. As mentioned previously my cousin had a visit from them and they had a nosey around and stuff to make sure that there was 2 beds. One for her and one for her ex. Just say your ex pays for nothing etc. they might even ask if you are using your savings etc to pay rent /council tax why can't you live on this???
You have got to make them think you actually need your JSA as no one else is paying for you.
Also just becuase you have savings doesn't mean you have to pay your own rent and council tax etc. They are SAVINGS so use it as rent. You are entitled to claim the money to help you until you get more financially secure becuase you didn't want to be made redundant and you would happily work if you could get a job. If you qualify for something then take it and leave your Nest Egg / savings in the bank. Besides that's what it is there for.

i pay my rent...it comes direct from my bank account....and he pays his rent directly from his bank account...
without jsa im surviving on my savings and when this runs out i cant pay for anything..rent or phone bills or even food..and if i cant afford rent the landlord will kick me out...

the £300 rent covers council tax..this 300 wont decrease if i get a reduction of council tax, it will alsways be 300...the landlord also pays for bills such as electric and gas? would it be wise to lie and say we pay her for this too(obviouslt half each)...in cash/cheque when the bills arrive?
so i need my jsa to cover 300 rent and house bills?

Originally Posted by angelbear2k

i pay my rent...it comes direct from my bank account....and he pays his rent directly from his bank account...
without jsa im surviving on my savings and when this runs out i cant pay for anything..rent or phone bills or even food..and if i cant afford rent the landlord will kick me out...

It sounds like a bit of a pride isssue (no offence).
You have got to be realistic about this. It sounds like you are entitled to council tax and rent reduction - so whether the rent is £300 including council tax then it should be reduced and paid directly to the landlord from the local council ( I was and I am in a similar situation) so why use your saving to pay for it. The money is assigned by the government for people like you and me through no-fault of our own have been made redundant and are struggling. You are not a sponger or a doley but you genuinly need help paying your bills.

I would say that 'you have to pay your way in the house, you can't live there for free and pay half to everything including gas and electric and water etc and if you don't then you will be thrown out and another person who can pay will be moved in.
Simples

i will be discussing everything with the landlord at the weekend so i will mention the whole council tax stuff...hopefully the visit will be simple and they will just make sure i am who i am, and that we are indeed sharing a house, living in separate rooms, and going halves on everything...