I'm thinking of doing the same thing, CCJ's I need to clear. Preferably would like to have enough left over to support myself through college. Keep us updated.

Please be careful! Once they suspect you of something they might start digging around for other stuff. I had an IUC for something different back in March but I had a facebook page were I sold digital media at cost price ie no profit at all for £1.50 yes £1.50!! and they came down on me like a ton of bricks for it. That element went no further because there was no funds going into my bank account for it because it was all done online obviously and I wasn't making anything from it but like seanamarts said if you really want to make a go of it let them know asap...I'm pretty sure there is something in place just now to help people into self employment or clean it up and delete your facebook page etc. I had actually stopped doing mine way before my IUC took place so I'm not sure if that made a difference but I just saw it as a hobby. There are no hobbies that are free these days unfortunately

Phone your local office first thing Monday morning and ask for another copy of the letter to be sent to you. If they won't send one to you, ask for acknowledgment that the letter was actually sent, the date it was sent and take a note of the persons name you spoke to on the phone along with the date and the time of the phone call. Take someone with you into your IUC...maybe someone from your local CAB who knows how IUC's should be conducted. If you can't get a representative then take a friend or a relative. They won't be able to speak but they can be a witness to the fraud investigators body language which obviously can't be recorded on tape (just speaking from my own experience here, it's important) You'll probably find they already have copies of your bank statements etc but take them along anyway and anything and everything else you can think of that will help your case. Best Wishes

Thanks estellyn

Hi Does anyone know if NI contributions are paid by the benefits agency while claiming conts based benefits or should I phone up and pay them myself? I've googled and can't seem to find any info. Thanks.

Personally I wouldn't offer to pay them that amount. I have Fredrickson International collecting a couple of debts from me on behalf of a couple of companies and when I told them my situation they accepted token payments of £1 per month and asked should my circumstances change then to phone call them back and increase the amount to whatever I can afford. They can't take from you what you don't have. Remember after paying your parents rent you still have to buy clothing for yourself etc. Their letters are not nice but I found them very reasonable when dealing with them over the phone.

Well I did say I might be wrong. I've not filled in any claim forms since 2007 and anytime I claimed JSA in between jobs up until I could no longer work my premiums were added automatically. I'm on high rate of DLA care and mob so might be different for people in receipt of those. Or maybe I just don't remember...more likely the case

I may be wrong but I don't think this is something you claim for separately. It's a premium that's added on automatically to certain benefits if your mother is entitled to it. That's how it always worked with myself anyway.

Sorry didn't mean to freak you out, I know all too well what the paranoia is like that comes from all this. It's just you mentioned Fraud Investigation Service in Glasgow in one of your posts and that's where I'm from so I assumed you may be too or thereabouts that's all I'm just outside Glasgow, I'm wondering if AdviceWorks is something only available in my local area. I'll check this out for you and let you know. The reason I said about your mental health is because of the reason I said above. I do think they try not to string it out for too long so that your mental health doesn't become worse. If it goes to court you may get a more lenient sentence (assuming you do get sentenced!) due to your mental health and your mental health workers can stop the press becoming involved too should it get to that stage. That may seem like small potatoes in the grand scheme of things but every little helps I think. I suffer from mental health issues myself and was bullied and traumatised at my IUC, 2 days after getting my decision letter I was involved in serious car accident...all because they made a decision on the balance of probability which isn't true. Just saying don't let them drag you down further, if you have MH issues let them know and make them aware how badly all this is affecting you.

Hi again Can you access Advice Works in your area? I know you are near me so check them out. They are who faxed my appeal form through for me last week because I couldn't get any information from anyone over the phone to ask for a reconsideration first. They are really helpful and know more about the benefits system and appeals than CAB or anyone else so please look them up asap. I have found out some very disturbing stuff with regards to DWP and my investigation, they will lie through their teeth to get the outcome that they want regardless of whether they end up deciding they are wrong or not. Also sorry to ask but if any of your health issues are mental health issues then get your psychiatrist or key/social worker to help you too. I think that's one of the reasons why mine is being dealt with so quickly though they have already caused irepairable damage. I'm also happy to help if you need, I've had appointments coming out my ears with all sorts of people with regards to this since my IUC and have gathered all sorts of useful information. I've read through DWP's fraud legislation I don't know how many times and you know if they actually followed their own rules most people would be found not guilty of fraud...negligent maybe but not fraudsters.

Well either way it works out around the same percentage, is called "the reduction scheme" and is not fully funded regardless of whether it's for water or whatever else

I don't know why that article is saying Scotland and Wales are fully funded under the new scheme because that's not true. I'm in Scotland and received my first CTB Reduction bill last month. It was 30% of what would be the full amount.

Well the paperwork I received is clearly out of date then. Something else I'll be pulling them up on. I know fraud is classed as a serious crime but I don't believe for one minute RIPA was used in my case. I'm 99% sure he said he would be investigating futher under the RIPA act AFTER the tape had stopped running. I will need to get a copy of the tape to clarify this but in a future phone call with him he did tell me the further investigation he undertook which was simply writing to my alledged partner so no he did NOT use RIPA after saying he would therefore I consider it to be a scare tactic of some sort. I even said to him if he had done more investigating maybe he would have found out we were actually not a couple to which he replied "I can't discuss this any further" Anyway my appeal was sent off today, I had a mental health worker with me at my IUC so they can't deny anything. Not trying to butt in the OP's thread...just saying if you think if you have been treating unfairly during your IUC or after regardless of what you admitted take action and seek legal advice NOW.

Slight update for anyone interested or following this...I've an appointment with AdviceWorks tomorrow who are going to help me find out how they came about their decision since there is no information on the system therefore I can't ask for a reconsideration before appealing. I only have 2 weeks left now because I was in a serious car crash last week. Wrote off my mobility car This is what happens when these people mess with your head, make you believe you are being followed, leave you with no income and bombard you with debt letters. No idea how I'm going to get through this but I'm going to fight these people to the bitter end for the mental anxiety they have caused me. I truly believe if it were not for all this I wouldn't have crashed my car and as a result my back and chest pain is 5 times worse.

I'm assuming she didn't mean to do it from the off as her partner wasn't living with her at the time therefore how could she? It's not as easy as it might seem to just get up and say "enough, I'm leaving"...I didn't like how mine was handled but I stuck through it and it was only afterwards after going through it in my head and with my advocate that I began to realise that certain things should have been handled differently. I was bulled and traumatised. I was led to believe I would be getting invesigated further under the RIPA act which led me to believe my phone calls were being listened to and I was being followed in my car. This stressed me out so much to the point that I was involved in a high impact collision with another car, one which the police and paramedics said I should not have walked away alive from. I later learned the RIPA act is for serious cases of crime, fraud and terrorism and did not apply to me. The FIO conducting my interview should NOT have told me he was going to do this when he had no intention of doing so. This is just one example of them behaving wrongly. Also I believe if a confession is given at the IUC a caution is supposed to be offered there and then and if a caution is given no prosecution can take place? Maybe I'm wrong. I'm still in the early stages of mine.

I'm involved in a fraud case myself at the moment though it's yet to be taken to court. I've only received a letter stating an overpayment so far. My case is very complicated so much so that they don't even have any notes on the system as to how they came about their decision, however, the following points may help you. First off...did you take anyone with you into the interview? if so it's important you have them to back up your version of events such as them putting words in your mouth. There is certain tactics they are not allowed to use. They did at mine and I'll be taking action against the FIS once mine is over and done with. In the past Courts have found the following situations, which occurred within IUC’s, to have been oppressive. This list is by no means exhaustive and should be used only as a guide by investigators: • excessively repeating a question in order to gain an admission • using abusive language • shouting at or bullying the suspect • constantly interrupting the subject • repeatedly accusing the claimant of being guilty or of lying • going over the same ground again and again • seeking to break down the suspect’s denials by misrepresenting the evidence held Also it is NOT fraud if not done and planned from the outset. You say your partner was not living with you at the time therefore it's up to them to prove that. This should be put down to negligence and failing to report a change in circumstances. Did you try and appeal before it got to this stage?

Brilliant thanks so much! I have no idea why they do not explain things in simple terms like this on their letters! Would make life so much easier. You know they didn't even investigate any further after IUC...straight to DM...even my solicitor thought the case was weak, everyone I spoke to did. I'm pretty confident I can get this turned around. They didn't even come to my house or nothing. Thanks again for your help, you've been great and helped me understand the whole process a whole lot better.

Really? I contacted the FIS and he said the matter is completely out of their hands now. His exact words where "I've done my job and that was to interview you and collect evidence which I have done and sent to the DM in stirling so you will have to contact them, I can no longer discuss this matter with you, I have other cases to deal with" But yeah what you have said sums up exactly what is in the letter I have received. They want to start deducting payments from my benefit...bit difficult when I'm not in receipt of any or have any other income. Ok so all that aside, it sounds like you work for them...any idea why no information on my case or decision would not be entered into the system? The letter states I can phone up and ask how they made their decision which I did but 3 seperate people I spoke to said it's blank!

Thanks I intend to although if I can't get an appointment by the end of the week I'm going to do the reconsideration myself as I really can't wait that long due to my IS claim being closed. Even though I've been told I'm entitled to conts based IB even if there is someone else in the household, to be honest I'm too scared to claim anything else again at the moment. Unless I can find a female friend to move in with me I've no idea what I'm going to do but knowing DWP they will probably turn round and accuse me of being in a civil partnership. I reckon selling my house is the way to go, my parents have offered me back at theirs though which I'm seriously considering now.

Thanks very much, this has been really helpful and explained a lot of things. I didn't get the phone call I was told I would get so I will write to them first thing tomorrow via recorded post. I'm just so confused by my situation, nowhere on my letter is the word "fraud" mentioned and the fact there has been no information recorded on the system makes me all the more suspicious. It simply asks for the overpayment to be to repaid, no mention of no further action, no caution, no ad-pen...nothing. Thanks again.

Hi All Received a letter today saying I have been overpaid IS for exactly 2 years due to LTAHW how they came about these dates I have no idea. It said on the letter to phone the number at the top for more information on how they came about making their decision so I did and guess what? Nothing has been recorded..not a single thing. No information on my case AT ALL. So I really don't know what to make of all this. There was no 30% penalty added on and they didn't add any of the disability premiums onto the over payment either which I guess I should be grateful for. I will be appealing of course but the letter did say to ask them to look at the decision again before appealing but since nobody seems to be able to give me any info (phoned 3 times) I guess I'll just have to go full steam ahead. I was advised I'm entitled to conts based IB but to be honest I'm afraid to claim anything. Whatever I put on the form is going to be contradiction in their eyes. If I say my friend just lives with me they could open a new fraud case and if I say he's my partner like they think he is then they could open another one for previous years so what the hell do I do? They did say someone would call me back within 24 hours to let me know about the decision so waiting on that. One woman did call me, she sounded really angry about the fact I'd called 3 times, warned me that the call was being recorded and for the sake of not wasting her time or mine to state exactly what I wanted to know. At the end of the call she said the best thing I can do is just ask my friend to move out which when I think about it is actually true but that doesn't solve my short term problems as my benefit has been completely stopped and it will take him some time to find somewhere and move out and with my MH problems and disability I'll probably end up 6 feet under by the end of the year anyway. I'm so angry that they get to decided who is a couple and who is not. Does anyone know if they are supposed to give notice of benefits being stopped? I'm sure I read a few places they had to give 28 days notice. Also why was there no 30% added on like everyone else seems to get? At the end of the IUC I was given a letter saying I would be either given a caution, an ad-pen or called back in but all I got was this letter instead. I should mention the FIS I spoke to today mentioned the matter is far from over and this is only the beginning and court proceeding are a long way off yet. If anyone is interested the overpayment is just over 7k. I thought I had read everything I possibly could on these cases but mine just seems totally weird. I only attended my IUC less than 5 weeks ago...wasn't expecting to hear back for at least another while and now there is no info recorded on system. Also the FIS is denying he phoned up dwp requesting my account notes from the exact date my overpayment starts yet I was told he did this by another department member just on friday there (she probably shouldn't have told me he did this but she did so why would he deny it)...something fishy is going on. To add more sh*t to the fan...my solicitor can't deal with it anymore until it actually goes to court as according to him it's only a civil matter at the moment. Thanks

Has anyone seen this page on civil penalty charges? There is a seperate page for fraud which clearly states fraud is "intentionally not reporting" or "being dishonest" whereas the civil penalty page points towards negligence which I think applies in a lot of peoples cases from what I've read on this forum yet why do they jump on the fraud bandwagon straight away? Just because the fraud hotline was used? I'll be printing these 2 pages out and taking them with me to my solicitor and when I'm next called in by FIS whenever that may be. I just hope I get another chance to speak to them before it goes to the DM. https://www.gov.uk/civil-penalty-changes-affect-benefits https://www.gov.uk/benefit-fraud

Hi, I do receive the premium and knew it was given to people where nobody was claiming carers allowance for looking after them but as for point 3 I've never seen that or come across that statement in my life. Both when I claimed JSA years back or when claiming IS. That premium is awarded automatically and the only explanation on the award letter is "because you are severely disabled". This just gets worse and worse. Here was me thinking they would simply be calling me back in with a decision at some point but looks like things are going to become quite messy with all these rules popping up all over the place non of which they mentioned at IUC

Thanks I'm glad I found this place, some comments are hard hitting but well I guess it helps to learn a hard lesson!

I don't 100% understand what you mean. I am on DLA care and I did tell them in the interview I need someone living with me. I'm wondering if that's why the council man didn't ask any questions except for regarding my DLA and health conditions.