Thanks again mate - genuinely appreciated.

Many thanks for such a quick response Seq. I won't take the bait on the CSA mechanisms as it could turn into a long thread, but I really appreciate the reply. Cheers

Hi guys, No idea if this is in the right place and, to be honest, no idea pretty much sums up my financial situation now. Put simply, a 40% deduction of earnings order from the CSA has destroyed the last 18 months of my life and it will be ongoing for another 2 years. During this period I have run up debts for council tax, electric, gas, catalogue, bank overdraft, water, you name it, I've got it. The trouble is, I now don't have a clue who I owe what to, as my various debts (new, old and ridiculously old) have been passed around more DCAs than I can begin to explain. I moved house a couple of months ago and therefore have been mercifully post free for a while, but even I'm not naieve enough to realise it will go away. Seriously, with the DOE from the Sc*mbags at the CSA I'm just getting further and further in the brown stuff. The saddest thing is that I earn fairly decent money, but forced to live in a bedsit whilst the debts mount up. I guess where I need help is - how do I find out who I owe what to. I know about the Statute Barred thing and I can recognise a couple of DCA letters which are laughably old, but what the hell do I do about the current stuff. Any advice gratefully lapped up. Thx

Thanks - that link is incredibly helpful.

Hi all, I am in an horrendous relationship which is coming to an unpleasant end. The single factor that has stopped us splitting to date is lack of money. I currently live with my partner and 13 year old stepdaughter. I need to know what would happen if I simply left home (a scenario looking increasingly likely due to the level of hostility in the house). What support would my partner get? Currently, the rent on our 2 bedroom property is £1200 per month. My partner only works part-time and takes home around £1000 each month. If the worst did happen, would my partner be able to stay there with my stepdaughter i.e. would she receive financial help? Sorry if this is a bit vague, but I'd be happy to elaborate if necessary. Thanks

Hi All, This is my first post on these forums, but most certainly not my first visit. Earlier this year, I received a letter asking me to attend an interview under caution. The interview was relating to a considerable overpayment of one specific benefit and, quite frankly, there was no questioning the figure or the validity of the accusation. Naturally, I researched the possible consequences and spent some time reading these excellent boards. I postponed the meeting briefly whilst I considered seeking legal advice and spoke to a couple of solicitors, the latter of which advised me to save my money for the subsequent court hearing and approach the interview alone, armed only with humility (this was never going to be a problem) and honesty. The interview was brief and, whilst it would be inaccurate to describe the interviewer as friendly, he was exceptionally professional and administered none of the heavy tactics I was dreading. We discussed my personal circumstances and he recommended to his superior that I should be fined for the offence (35% on top of the repayment) and to keep the matter out of court. Naturally, I was ecstatic and incredibly grateful for this recommendation and spent a few nervous days waiting for the decision of his superior. When he phoned me back just a few days afterwards, I was utterly gobsmacked when he told me his boss had elected to waive the fine altogether and offer me a civil caution. The caution was dependant on providing some evidence of some mitigating personal circumstances which I subsequently did. I must also say that I made a point of saying during my interview that I did not want or expect these mitigating circumstances to be considered and that I was thoroughly aware that my actions were wrong and dishonest. Once I had provided this evidence, I was invited to a second interview where I was given my caution - a non-criminal matter that has no effect on my employment/credit rating future etc. Throughout this second interview (with the original interviewer's boss) I was treated fantastically and offered genuine advice of how to go about claiming legitimately and accurately should the need ever arise in the future. There is no disguising that this interviewer really was friendly and supportive and I was treated better than I can ever have imagined (or deserved for that matter). I should make very clear that the whole process leading up to the interview was petrifying and it was a horrific time for me and my family. However, you reap what you sow and having behaved dishonestly, it was the least I deserved and when I attended my first interview I was fully prepared for any eventuality. I haven't mentioned figures or time scales here, as I would like to maintain a degree of anonymity, but I can assure you that the Council in question could have taken a far harsher line with me and I am incredibly grateful for the empathy and leniency they showed me. Finally, I'll come for the actual reason for taking the time to post. If anybody finds themselves in this position, PLEASE be honest and upfront with the interviewer. These guys would rather be preventing benefit fraud than investigating it. And to those people actively and knowingly committing fraud, I also beg you to stop. As I know from my own experience, the fear of actually being caught far outweighs the financial reward and once the crime has been detected (I was actually genuinely relieved when I was caught) it is like living hell on earth waiting for the interview and wondering what the future holds. As this is my first post, I'd be grateful if a moderator would inform me if this is a reasonable thing to be writing on the forum and would welcome any feedback. Here’s to an honest, law abiding future. Thanks for listening, Tufker.