Hi there folks. Well where do i start..... last week my parents were called to the job centre only to find out someone had accused them of committing benefit fraud. My father has physiological issues including bipolar. My mother is his full time career (has been for 21yrs) Someone had told the benefits that my father is doing jobs on the side which is total bull! My father was told to do his own gardens as its therapeutic and my brother sometimes uses my dads drive to fix his own car but thats it! along with an awful lot of other very fine details to what is where in the house which have nothing to do with anything. The interview went well for them but there wasn't enough time so they need to go back. In the interview, myself and my husbands names came up. Someone had claimed that we and our 3 children are living at my parents house and falsely claiming benefit.... i haven't lived there for 10yrs and my husband never has! They also say my husband is falsely claiming for his condition which is total nonsense! We have piles of paper work, appointments, specialists and doctors notes to throw at the job centre. Also, i apparently work as a cleaner on the sly. As the job centre told my parents that most this info has come off facebook i can only assume someone had seen my job title as part time cleaner and took it litterly! (3 kids, a very ill husband and a small 'farm', all im doing all day is cleaning!!) We've done absolutely nothing wrong but im still very worried! I have no idea what they got off facebook apart from the cleaning thing so i don't know how they can claim it was all off there. ive gone through my profile with a fine tooth comb and even though i knew it, ive never mentioned my parents or these claims in this context! Is there any way of obtaining such 'evidence' they hold? I would very much like to know who has done this as the job centre said to my parents 'there closer to home than you think!' Our interview in tomorrow. Im not looking forward to it at all as it means dragging my husband down town when he has no strength to do so and our autistic daughter having a meltdown if were out in the dark and not at home at teatime! what a farce!! Any advice would be a great help. Tia x

hi there peeps, been a long time since i have posted on CAG!! well to put a long story short, ive been on esa for a year now due to depression and i am awaiting my tribunal for a rejected ATOS interview..... a lot has gone on over the years and its why im in the state im in now! Over the past year, and shortly before I got signed off with depression I started to gamble online, at first it wasnt much and i made back so at least i broke even..... but it got worse, the amounts stayed the same, the frequency however got more and more and to cover my losses and make sure i didnt fall behind with rent etc. etc. i started to sell off my DJ and Studio equipment, a lot of high valued items, the money i had been putting back into my bank which to top up my account to where it was before and so i could cover my bills/rent etc.. etc... basically someone has phoned the dwp saying i have a source of income and ive been called in for a compliance interview and asked for my bank statements, they have not said how many to take. thing is i have sold to acquantances ive met in the circle of music i have been a part of and been given cash, i also save up my rent cheques until the last week of the month to make sure i dont gamble them away (i am recieving help for the gambling now) and i am finding it hard to differentiate what i have sold with my rent cheques....... also back in april 2012 i won back some ppi insurance from my bank, i was working at the time and took out 2k and gave it to a relative to put safely aside and towards a rather big holiday for my son (who has been through hell and essentially lost contact with his mother - hes only7) to try and make good of his childhood after all the grief he has been through. To make sure i did not take this money and gamble it down the tubes i decided to make the holiday this year, i paid half and my dad has paid half, this went into my bank ac and straight out again... can i get in trouble for not saying i had this money set aside for this holiday. im at my wits end, im even thinking of coming off esa and back onto jobseekers as im doing myself no good just vegetating during the school hours and once lil man is in bed and hence the gambling came in...... any help would be appreciated

Looking for some advice I recieved a letter today inviting me to an interview under caution, stating that while i was in reciept of housing/council tax benefit they believe i had undeclared income. At first i couldnt think what this was because i have started at university this year and have declared this and my benefits have been adjusted accordingly. However I attended college last year and into this year, it was a stressful time for me as i had alot going on in my personal life also. I did not declare to council that i had this change in circumstance and was in reciept of a bursary however i did not think i had to do this as i had heard from a few college friends i only had to do this for advanced level courses such as degrees. Now after sitting on the internet all day on google i have got myself in such a panic, what if i have commited benefit fraud unknowingly. I have a two year old child and feel like my career may be at risk now. Any advice welcomed.

Hello all, Have a problem that I could do with some urgent advice on. At my last post work programme appointment I didn't see my usual adviser as they were on holiday. The adviser I saw made me an appointment with the national careers service. I have this morning received a garbled message from someone at the service saying my appointment is today at 3pm yet my official letter issued by my adviser says its 11th November at the same time. I have rung the careers service phone number on the letter and the person I spoke to wasn't any help at all, basically I have been told they do not hold the diaries for appointments made at job centres and I have been unable to get through to my job centre at the moment. Just wondered what is my position is, I am fine to go on Monday but this afternoon would be undoable. Thanks for the advice

Good Afternoon All, I have just received a letter from the Department of Work & Pensions, detailing a notification of customer compliance office interview. In other words, I need to go and talk to somebody about my claim. I have done some research online and this is basically a fraud investigation - which to be honest (excuse the pun) has really annoyed me. I have been claiming for a year and actively seeking work and have actioned all their requests and declared everything along the way. Obviously I will attend the appointment and I am very much looking forward to the discussion, that said I have two concerns and a question that hopefully you experts can advise me with :- 1. Just like with any 'hearing', the guilty/not guilty are not always charged correctly. My 'integrity' is at the discretion of the lady sat opposite me. So if for whatever reason (bad day, husband left her, kids playing up etc) she decides to find me 'Guilty'. What will happen then and how long will the appeal take? After the successful appeal, do I get any back dated money? 2. I have seen other people have had similar letters, saying the officer will attend their property. Can they ACTUALLY enforce this? I am very very particular of who I let into my property, after all - it is my home. I do not want a stranger coming here, let alone someone who is accusing me of criminal activities. I have no quarms with attending as many interviews as they want anywhere in the UK, but not at my home. Surely I have the right to refuse a home visit if asked, without penalising my benefits? 3. I live on my own - My girlfriend sometimes stays and even has her own set of keys to come and go as she pleases (she is a damn good cook and loves to clean my place as she only has a small room in her dads house - I know, Im very lucky ). What do they deem as "living"? I assume this is looked at number of nights she stays over? What are the guidelines for this please. Too me, this just looks like an easy way to stop paying legitimate job seekers to "help their quota" and it drives me nuts after seeing people in their smacked up and drunk for appointments who not only will not be looking for work, nobody in their right mind would ever employ them and I feel victimised being a polite, smartly dressed, non-violent claimant who clearly is trying but just not succeeding. Thanking you all in advance, James

Hello. I am receiving Esa and low rate dla. Yesterday I received this letter to go to the job centre on 9th October at 11.00. This interview has been arranged because your circumstances may have changed and we need to ensure your payments are correct. When you claimed benifit you agreed to tell us immediately if the circumstances relating to your beniefit entitlement had changed. Nothing has changed and I am very worried. Has any one ells had one of these letters. What happens at the interview.

Hello. I am currently getting income based JSA for about 1 year now. I stay with my mum, But all of a sudden my mum is saying i need to pay £27 towards to rent as the council will only pay £109. So why now do i need to pay. I have a brother who gets ESA, and my mum gets income support. What are causing the housing benefit deduction, My brother only started claiming ESA this year in march, And all of a sudden the housing benefit is cut. So could someone help me because i am getting the impression the cut is because of me but i have been getting jsa for around a year and my mum has been getting full housing benefit since untill now.

Hi. I found a part-time vacancy at a jobs fayre, in social care and was offered an interview (along with many others). The most they could offer IF I passed the interview, would be 20 hr per week. The problem is, I didn't realise there was help available and misunstood my adviser when he told me to check a council website for housing/council tax help. I didn't go to the interview, believing that I would only be living (and paying rent and all bills etc) on £100. If I hadn't mentioned the interview to him, he wouldn't have known but now I'm worried sick that I will get sanctioned. I have to see him next week and I'm dreading him asking me how it went. (I've already been sanctioned, back in June or being 15 mins late for an interview with him, so this would be 13 weeks) Please can anyone advise on what is the best thing to do? Many thanks for any replies - I'm worrying myself to the point that I haven't slept all night. x

I have recieved a letter to attend a compliance interview at the jobcentre. I'm very confused by this as i don't claim benefits? I tried to contact the women named on the letter but she's not been available to speak to, no-one else in the office can understand why i've been sent this because they can see i'm not claiming any benefits so can't understand why the letter has been sent out?! How can this happen? Absoluatley baffelled!! has anyone had this happen before?

Hi I was wondering if someone could help me. I have to attend an interview for benefit fraud, apparently they have been asking for weeks, i received nothing but what i did receive was a bill of £2300 approx which they say i owed because i was working whilst receiving jobseekers and have already started paying this back. the woman on the phone today told me if i do not attend for interview they will pass my case on to the prosecution service, is this possible considering i have already been found guilty or else i wouldn't be paying this amount back? Any help would be massively appreciated

Hi all I've just received a letter from the dwp saying I owe £700 and I must pay within the next two weeks. Its half twelve at night and I'm so stressed I can't sleep. Well actually I'm watching a really good film. Does anyone have a template letter I can send these people? First template letter, I want to know if this money is really owed by me which I doubt. Secondly a letter stating they can have £ per week from my benefit and stop sending me scary letters don't you have IT system to sort out. Thanks caggers

I'm very worried about a friend I trust and respect that has received a letter for an interview under caution for this coming Wednesday. My friend doesn't want friends or family to know what has happened and at this stage probably wouldn't be happy about me asking for advice, so out of respect I don’t want to give to much away about his identify. Sorry I hadn't intended for this to be a long post but thought I should give as much info about him as possible so you can better understand why I’m so worried.. I don’t know what benefit he is on, I don’t want to appear nosy by asking but I don’t think he knows because when we talked about it he said he’s not to sure because he also now gets a government retirement pension. If you didn't know him you would probably think he is being evasive. My friend phoned citizens advice but wasn't given any advice other than being directed to benefit fraud on the CAB website. From what I gather my friend got the distinct impression you have broken the law get on with it!. My friend “Who I will now call Fred" admits he would probably feel the same way.. Fred is in his 60s and did not deliberately set about to defraud anyone, truly its not in his nature, Fred was on benefits when a parent passed away and money was lodged into his bank account for himself & some for a third party to be given to that person in several years time when the beneficiary is older but Fred doesn't have any proof. Fred didn't think to notify work and pensions and cancel the benefit. He said it didn't register in his mind he completely forgot he was on benefit. He hasn't deliberately tried to hide anything but understands people won’t believe him & will judge him. Should Fred phone them now and ask for the benefit to be stopped today or wait for the interview?. Fred thinks he should because he is now aware he is not entitled to benefit. Fred would like to offer to pay back what he owes which would amount to approximately three years of overpayment. Fred says the benefit officers will not believe him and expects the worse but he is prepared for it and would be better than the life he is living at the moment. “This is very unlike the Fred I knew a few years ago who would be prepared to give a fight. It is clear to see he has lost his way in life. Fred as had a very difficult time over the last several years because of deteriorating health and loosing family and friends etc.. My friend as become more and more distant and depressed over the last few years suffering with memory loss and being more and more vacant when you talk to him he is often on another planet and believes he has the same disease has the parent that passed away after years of terrible suffering. I think it was Alzheimer's or dementia?. . Fred looked after his parent for many years and witnessed lots of suffering. Fred has several major and perhaps life threatening health problems and because of circumstances and pain, as become addicted to very powerful prescribed medications. Fred seems to be in a never ending spiral where one day runs into the next. If you knew Fred as I do you would understand he would never deliberately break the law he is a Royalist and loves his country and its laws. I'm very worried about him because he will not go to a solicitor and believes know one will believe him so accepts what happens. “So unlike Fred.. Can someone make any suggestions?.. But firstly should he notify work & pensions before the interview and stop the claim?.. Perhaps I should try and give you all a rundown on how I see my friend; why I don’t think he should be alone on the interview. I won’t go into all the whys and wherefores we would be here all day!. My friend as helped me and many other people over the years he is so honest and kind you wouldn't find a better friend. I have been worried about him for some time now but it’s not always easy talking to a friend. Not so many years ago he would never be late for an appointment. We have mutual friends that are magistrates and I remember a few years ago over dinner people saying and agreeing how good a magistrate he would make. “Not any more he forgets things!. To give you an idea what he is like now, “Fred what time is it? Errr, “errr “Fred would look at you with a blank distant look as if I had asked a really difficult question. He sometimes forgets dates & times, He looks as if something is always on his mind often staring into space. You can explain the simplest thing and he won’t grasp it, he can get half way through a sentence & forgets what he was saying. He will jump at the slightest thing. He was always out and about; He used to be very well dressed. Fred doesn't have a partner I can approach and I don’t know his family well enough, in anycase he doesn't want to involve anyone so I’m at a loss as to how I can help. I would offer to go on the interview with him but I’m away all this week. Thanks to anyone that may give advice.

Hi this is for a friend who has asked for some help. She had DLA for years HRC & HRM. Things in her life started to improve last winter and she started to be able walk further in a shorter time frame than she has ever done. On top of that her medication started to stabilise her needs. Thinking that it might just be a flash in the pan, she left it until May this year when she felt that the changes were more or less permanent. She contacted the DLA by letter and told them that she wanted to stop her claim as for the past 6 months things had been improving month on month. They sent her another claim form, why I don't know, but anyhow she didn't bother to fill it in and just binned it. Her DLA payments stopped. The next thing she hears is that the DWP wanted to talk to her on tape about her DLA claim. With nothing to hide or be guilty about off she went. When she returned she looked awful, crying. She says that they treated her like a criminal. The only thing I could get out of her was that they wanted to talk about the 6 months leading up to when she contacted them to stop the claim. She told them the truth that her abilities had improved month on month but wanted to make sure that they were not in her head and were permanent. She told me that they are now investigating it on the basis of what she had said and admitted that she continued to claim DLA for 6 months knowing that her care needs and mobility had improved. What can she expect out of this? She seems to have been too honest and has admitted guilt when none exists.

hi people i am new to this so i dont really know how it works. .. I recently receieved a letter from the job centre regarding a invatation to an office interview i am really confused as it is signed personel advisor. I recently came of income support as my child recently turned 5 i am in the middle of making a new claim for jsa i am so confused right now has any one else had anything like this please can anybody give me some advice thankyou

Hi Today I had a compliance interview as apparently someone thinks I live beyond my means as I don't go around broadcasting what money I get or that I get DLA etc for my son so they decided the kids father must be living with me! We were married approx. 10 years ago and have been separated for over 5 years so never said to DWP about being married as as far as I am concerned I am single. Anyway the anon person said I was married and that he lived with me. The CO said that Fraud had looked at it and then handed it down to them to interview me over. He was happy with what I said and asked who I thought had done it but from the rubbish given by the anon caller I knew and told him so and he just replied can neither deny or confirm this. I took my bank statements etc and he only briefly looked at them to confirm the money coming in and he didn't even make a copy of them. He said the case is closed, took a statement which I had to sign and once again said he was happy to close the case. So my question is is the case definitely close or is that just something they say? Sorry to sound paranoid but it just does make you feel paranoid.

So I have a job 'interview' next Thursday afternoon. Job is being advertised by an employment agency - i'm told it will take about 2 hours and will be a group thing. As whilst we're there we will be undertaking health & safety or food safety training (can't remember which now). This seems strange. More like an induction than an interview. Anybody come across this?

Last year was not good for me; I was suffering from depression and had a serious alcohol problem. This made it hard for me to hold down a job for more than a week or two at a time. I was living in London and made a claim for JSA and housing benefit. I was granted both. But I missed signing on a few times and the jsa stopped but the housing benefit continued to be paid into my account. Having never claimed before I wasn't sure on how the two were connected or that it was my responsibility to notify the local council of my change in circumstances. I finally ran out of money and moved back up to Scotland to stay with my family, I left my belongings in the flat but someone else started paying rent for my room, a friend of the people I was living with, despite the fact he didn't move in to the flat until Feb this year. Between the end of Sept, when I moved back to Scotland, and now, I lived in a number of places including a hostel, friends' couches, as a lodger, as a sub-letter and am only now getting back on my feet. I stopped receiving the housing benefit at the start of Feb this year and a month or two later received a letter at my family home in Scotland asking me to attend an 'interview under caution' - due to the fact I was no longer living in the area and work commitments I was unable to make it to the first appointment and subsequently failed to agree upon a date that would be suitable. Meanwhile, I had given them an address in London that they could send my mail to and I received another letter from the local council stating the exact amount that I had been overpaid and I called the overpayments team and agreed to set up a direct debit to start paying it back - the total was around £1,800. I thought that starting the direct debit would be enough to settle the matter. However, last week I was contacted again about having to go in to the council office for an 'interview under caution'. I'm currently back in Scotland. What I'm basically asking for advice on is what my options are: do I need to go? What will happen if I don't? And have I already made an admittance of committing fraud by starting the direct debit? I just want to avoid court or getting into legal trouble. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Hi, I received a letter this morning which says "We would like you to attend and interview at: We need to see you in order to discuss the benefit we are currently paying you. We need to assure your payments are correct and it is essential that you attend this interview to discuss the matter. To avoid unnecessary delay, please bring this letter with you and show it to reception immediately on your arrival. Please ask for ....... ... If you arrive late you may not be seen. You should note that where there is doubt about whether the conditions for entitlement are met, we can suspend your claim" Then goes on to ask me to take I.D with me like drivers licence ect .. Should I worry about this? I am claiming JSA and have done everything they have asked for till now. I am also starting up my own business but they know this already and I have talked to my advisor about it and no one has said anything is wrong with what I'm doing. Am I worrying over this letter for nothing? Thanks

Right I'm being quite paranoid here and its mostly my own fault for being absent minded. Basically moved into flat in 2011 and partner moved in shortly aftwards getting her mail. I never changed from getting the singler person 25% discount but obvioulsy all her post etc comes here. I've had a letter about them doing a review so I rang them up and said they have amended it for this year but in a panic on the phone when he asked how long she'd been here I said just a few months. I'm now paranoid about an IUA and want to ring them up and say I got my dates wrong and pay the 2012 part and then continue paying the extra for this year - but I'm worried about that causing alarm vs saying nothing! I've got some legal advice who said not to worry too much and written the following At this stage, I probably would not be worried. You volunteered the information and therefore they are unlikely to pursue any criminal issue with regard to the previous wound payment unless what prompted you to bring this to their retention was something that they had done. If you are still concerned, simply ring them up and tell them when your partner moved in and tell them you want to pay back the discount, in proportion, for that period. They will send you an amended bill. It really is as simple as that. They will send you an amended bill and you will pay it. I think you probably have more chance of winning the lottery than being prosecuted for defrauding Council tax based upon what you have told me! I'm tempted to write them a letter and expalin ! any thoughts ???

Hi, A decade ago my friend was trying to buy a flat but couldn't get a mortgage on her own. I offered to be the other name on a joint mortgage so that she could buy it. We got a joint mortgage. She put up the entire deposit for the flat, paid for everything when it was being done up etc. We lived there together at first but soon she moved elsewhere and rented it to me and other tenants. I claimed several years of housing and council tax benefit as a tenant and not as an owner when earning almost nothing at all. Our agreement had been that, as I was putting in no money, etc, I would not be a part owner. I have received an Interview Under Caution letter as the council "have information that suggests I may have been part owner of the property which was not declared when claiming the Housing/council tax benefit." What should I do? Will my name on the mortgage mean that I'm f**ked even though neither of us view it as my property? Help. I'm very frightened.

Hi, This is my first post here and I am extremely worried. I am job searching and I agreed going to a session at the Jobcentre yesterday, thinking I will get to know a bit more about care work. However, this was a session about elderly care at their homes by one company. I asked many questions and I said I have some religious restrictions - not working with male clients and pork products and the woman offered me an interview. After hearing what she said and checking the info she gave me, which I did read at home, I think elderly care is not what I want at all. I am trying to be flexible in my job search and try different avenues, but I studied Business Administration and I mainly look for work in that area and try to get into child care. Now the jobcentre wants to push me into elderly care. Biggest problem is that this is a zero hours contract and they were promising at least 15 hrs a week and all kinds of other stuff, like you could claim back some travel costs and get some lunch or dinner money depending on the hours you work etc etc... Reading the info at home, the leaflet claimed that you cannot claim back travel costs!!! Also I investigated about zero hours contracts and am shocked and terrified..., it does not give you any guaranteed income and I am so worried it will mess up my tax credits and housing benefit/council tax etc... I just recently moved into a privately rented property after being in temporary accommodation. Finally some stability and now this. I am a lone parent of a 15 yr old boy and just hope for a stable job - not a job where they can abuse you and where you have to go from one house to the other to give personal care to elderly people (including washing them etc). I am afraid I cannot deal well with unhygienic situations and that this job will not be suitable at all. On religious ground I already am a bit restricted - so I am so worried. I literally had a sleepless night over this situation. When I contacted my adviser at the jobcentre she told me that I cannot refuse the interview, as it will be considered refusal of possible work. So, I have to go to that interview, but can I let the lady there know that I think this work doesn't suit me? Do I have to accept training for a job I do not find suitable at all? Do I also have to pay £44 for the CRB check??? Can I demand that I might only be willing to give this type of work a go, if they would accept my restrictions for certain clients and if they give a different type of contract?? I am so worried about a zero hours contract!! When you have a zero hours contract can you still get some support from JSA if you do not get enough hours? Or, if you do not get any hours at a certain week, you will simply not have any income!?? What do I do? Shall I go and then still refuse a possible job offer and risk the sanction or accept a job which I do not want. Soooo upset with how these people think they can mess with you like that. I would love to work and am searching and applying for jobs, but a zero hours contract can you decline that??? On the basis that this could give you huge hardship as a lone parent and the job does not really suit me anyway. Oh and I almost got sanctioned before when I was offered an interview with a dodgy company. I declined the interview after doing research about the company - lots of claims of fraud about that company. But, this almost got me sanctioned. However, I could prove the bad reputation of this company easily, so they accepted. Please people, give me some advice. How do I deal with this situation? Thanks!

I received a letter confirming that i have to attend the interview and advising that interview will be take place under caution (which I don't know what it means) also letter stated that ` we have arranged this interview because we believe there are grounds for suspecting that a criminal offence may have been committed ` The issue started back in July 2012 where some one claimed Social Funds using my name and details. Since then I have been in contact and I have provided them with all identification to proof that its not me. They sent me copy of the applications completed and they all had different signatures which of course did not match my signature. So finally around Feb 2013 they stated that they will stop chasing me as they believe it was not me . At that time of this ordeal i was on JSA and they were deducting money from my allowance which eventually they repaid me when they withdraw their case and i started my full-time job on 3rd of June with DWP. I am really nervous never been in such situation before as I have always been good with my credit history, Can anyone advise on what will happen on the day of the interview and what should I expect

hi In need of some help/advise . I recieved a letter this morning asking my partner to attend an Interview under caution regarding a failure to notify a change in our household . It doesnt elabirate thats all it says .... . I have contacted housing benefit to check the details they hold on us are correct , which they are so still none the wiser . The only thing we can think of is my partner was in a car accident at the end of feb and the insurance paid out just over £5000 to replace the car . Not sure if this would have any affect ....also I have been doing flower arrangements for friends and family at cost (I have not gained) but have had them on a facebook page building a portfoilio for when i do go back to work when my youngest starts nursery . If it is this any advise on how I prove I have not made any income would be appreciated and how best to get prepared for the interview. In fact any advise would be greatfully recieved , I am so worried !!

3 weeks ago my work sent me to an Occupational Health interview. The company that did this was Atos. They wrote up their report and said it would be between 3 and 6 months before I was likely to be fit to return to work. I was sent a copy as well as work. I, a while ago applied for benefits inc. incapacity. I have an interview the first week in July with Atos through the DWP. Do I need to phone them and tell them I had this? Will I still need to attend the DWP interview or do you think my report they did for my work will be used. Am pertrified at the thought of going after what I have read especially with having chronic depression.

I had my interview and was only there 10 mins was able to show the chap that I had notified pension credit of a change of circumstance my wife had transferred £15000 from her life assurance to her building society account although the officer died not say anything I have been told by people not in the know my money will be stopped until the overpayment s are worked out is this true