Hi guys, I have received a JSA 3 Form, nothing else accompanied it, just the form. I dont understand what this is, what they use it for and more importantly whether it is something I need to worry about, re: criminal sanctions etc owing to the ongoing situation. I would be really grateful if someone could give me some advice.

Sorry I thought of this after my post, when i was told on the 18th it was with a second decision maker, it was not with overpayments?

Thank you antone and id6052, I have been receiving call backs from the overpayments team (at least that who i think it is). I have been contacting debt management myself, on the instruction of the overpayments team, overpayments have called me after BDC referral. I have asked for an escalation and this as far as i am aware has been put on the system, with requests to have the amount calculated ASAP. I have made it explicitly clear to all I have talked too as to why I require the matter to be dealt with swiftly, the reason being, I am due to train as a Police Officer next month. I have explained to them I am awaiting on confirmation of my start date. So after getting through all the tests and vetting, this is not something I need at present, especially as this could see me be requested to resign before I even get started. I have in all fairness to the BDC been told time and time again that there is nothing malicious on the system, no markers or indication of any investigations are present (nor have there ever been any). I have also been told that it will be a matter of overpayment and no action will be taken against me. I have made it very clear that I wish to pay back any overpayment immediately, informing them that I have made provisions to borrow the money from a family member so that it can be resolved immediately. Some who i have spoken to, including the gentleman from today, remarked that he could see that I wanted to repay immediately. Despite the repeated assurances from those from the BDC I just cant rest easy until the amount has been calculated and I have been then assured thats the end of the matter.

Hi Yes all contact has been by telephone, except for the letter to notify of change of circumstances. I have recorded all telephone calls and have kept a log of the dates, names, teams (where i can get this information) and noted down what has been discussed for all phonecalls. Thanks

Hi Yes all contact has been by telephone, except for the letter to notify of change of circumstances. I have recorded all telephone calls and have kept a log of the dates, names, teams (where i can get this information) and noted down what has been discussed for all phonecalls. Thanks

So I thought I would provide a brief update on my situation and see if I can get some further advice. I have to date contacted the DWP benefits delivery centre 23 times since the matter began, in order to attempt to get the matter resolved. The wheels obviously turn slow, so slow in fact that the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing it appears. I have been told so many things I don’t know really which way is up. I was assured on the 18th that the matter was with the 2nd decision maker as we spoke, which i was told after the person i spoke to went and spoke to a manager. I was informed today that the person I had spoken to on the 18th put on the system the following ‘have assured client this matter is no fraudulent and that there will be no prosecution’. I awaited a call back on 18 Jan which never came, so rang back the next day. I was told that the overpayment had been calculated and that I was to contact Debt Management to discuss repayment, great I thought. I contact Debt Management immediately and am told after giving my details, they hold nothing on the system and that I should go back to the benefits delivery line. I do so and am informed that it has been passed onto debt management, I explain they know nothing about the situation, all I am told is keep ringing. Today I rang Debt Management again being told they have no knowledge of the matter. I was then informed almost word for word by the lady on the phone, what I have been hearing each time I contact the benefit delivery centre. To which I am then promptly informed that I am being fobbed off, telling me I bet they haven’t even calculated the overpayment yet. I ring the benefit delivery centre again explaining I am beginning to feel as if I am being fobbed off, they then arrange for a call back for me. I receive a rather prompt call back from a gentleman who tells me ‘no overpayment has been calculated yet’. I questioned him on this and asked if this stating that on the 18th I was told it was with a decision maker. To which the response was well we get thousands of overpayments which we need to calculate, you will just have to contact the Debt Management department , who eventually when we calculate it we will pass it onto. It appears that I have been lied to about the matter by several people. I am really at the end of my tether with this. I have tried again and again to get this matter sorted, which has now been on-going for some 3 weeks. I don’t know who to believe, even though I have been told and it has been recorded that this matter is not fraudulent, I have no idea what authority that person had to say that and indeed what reliance I can place upon it. I have no idea when they will get round to calculating whether there is an overpayment. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

I certainly hope so, however, I have recalculated the amount I owe and it comes to about £2040. I went through my bank statements, so still worried they may refer it for prosecution. As ive heard about a rule of about £2k, I dont know

Thank You antone. I though I would provide you with an update. I contacted the DWP first thing this morning and explained the situation. I received a call from the Delivery Centre. I was informed that I would need to draft a statement of change of circumstances and take this to my local Job Centre, which I did immediately. I asked the representative over the phone what would happen next. He informed me that as my claim had been closed , the statement would be received by the change of circumstances team who would pass this onto the overpayments team (who would assess the amount over paid). Overpayments would then send it to Debt Management. I asked him specifically whether I faced charges of benefit fraud, he assured me no and that it would remain a civil matter (how much stock I date place in this, im not sure). He informed me that as my claim as closed an assessment on the amount of payments received would now take place in order to calculate the overpayment. He further informed me that no fraud investigations have ever been conducted on my claim and neither have any been commenced to date. He furthermore told me that 'you came to us, we didn't come knocking at your door'. I sincerely hope that what the adviser said will resonate through the other departments and that this will remain a civil and not criminal matter. As i am still out of my mind with worry Thanks guys

Thank you CitizenB, I will keep checking back just in case someone posts any advice tonight.

Hi guys, I hope someone can put my mind at rest, as I am worried sick about the following: I had been claiming JSA up until December 2012, upon which I finally managed to get a job. I stopped claiming, signed the booklet and sent it back to the job centre. Received all the bumph from them and presumed the matter was closed. Today my mom received a letter from the council stating that the DWP had informed them that I had ceased claiming JSA. The Council then have queried whether or not I still reside at my moms address or not. In June 2012, I moved in with my partner who works full time. After a bereavement, I stayed with her to support her which eventually led to me moving in. At this point my mother informed the County Council and I ceased paying the dependants allowance for HB. To date I use my moms address as my registered address for all correspondence, bank cards, bills everything. At present no correspondence has been received from the DWP relating to my change of address. After doing some searching I have discovered that moving in with my partner may be a ‘change of circumstances’. As a result the DWP should have been informed and therefore, I may have been receiving JSA, when in fact as a result of my partner working full time, I should not have received anything at all. I have worked out that I would have been overpaid £1960.00 up to the point I stopped claiming. Call it naivety, stupidity whatever you will; I believed that I was entitled to continue receiving JSA providing I was adhering to the job seekers agreement. I am now petrified that I may have committed benefit fraud and the potential implications of this. I have decided to explain the situation to the DWP tomorrow; explaining that I may have been receiving JSA when I was not entitled to. If this is the case, I want to enquire with them as to, whether I can repay the entire sum through monthly instalments. I was wondering if anyone can offer any practical advice? What will the DWP do upon declaring this and will they accept repayment without criminal sanction? Thank -you