Hello I am wondering about the capital disregard rules for savings between £6000 and £16000. I understand assumed income is £1 for every £250 (i think anyway) but what I was wondering is if that is worked out and applied separately to each benefit claimed or is it worked out on the total of all the benefits? I claimed housing for a while and had I been honest about my savings I would have only lost £20 a week. I got ESA for a short while when in hospital too. I was trying to work out if that means I would have still only lost £20 per week or does the housing + ESA make it £40 per week. I don't even know if I make sense sorry....

i was this morning charged under the fraud act of 2006 for fraud by false representation ,first offence, total amount is £23,000. this for selling a car whilst it was on finance, i am to appear in the magristares court at end of month, what are the likely penalties

I share this story for educational purpose, to let you look behind the curtain. I’ve been trading different markets since 2000, but it was my first complaint ever. I have irrefutable evidences to prove the prejudice, but there was no way to address that problem. The procedure was only a barbaric joke. Nevertheless, my sense of humour is much better. I reported them for fraud to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and to the Action Fraud, based on Fraud Act 2006 chapter 35. It is proven fact that the ombudsman made an irrational decision and it was not a mistake. I am aware that it is a criminal offence. Post 15. It is recognized fact that the adjudicator and the ombudsman rejected my complaint using different arguments, but both arguments supported my claim. Using those arguments my complaint should’ve been upheld. The real nature of the FOS was unveiled due to their incompetence. Posts 3 and 4. However, the truly scandalous parts were presented by the team manager, the senior manager and the so called Independent Assessor. They covered the mess up shamefully. Posts 5-13. At the end, I will show you how the Financial Ombudsman Service manipulates its statistics. My £5,000 dismissed complaint is published on their website as upheld. Reference: DRN0281948. Post 14. Yes, I am going to write about the centralized, systemic corruption of the Financial Ombudsman Service UK, where there is no way to address the unbelievable bias and incompetence. Would you believe me if I said the adjudicator has admitted in writing that he didn’t understand anything when he made his two rejecting decisions? Yet there was no way to question his biased verdict. Post 3. Would you believe me if I said the ombudsman falsified data to dismiss my claim? Well, he had to, because his nonsense theory doesn’t exist. I mean literally, it doesn’t exist. Yet there was no way to address that fraud. Post 4. Would you believe me if I said, after the adjudicator rejected my complaint with an argument which supported my claim and wasn’t related to the case, replying to my service complaint the team manager clearly stated that the admittedly wrong decision should be left intact, and the adjudicator shouldn’t have discussed that issue with me? What fair play? Post 6. Would you believe me if I said the adjudicator supposedly deleted one of my emails with information he requested (probably contradicted the preconception) 20+ times, and the team manager, the senior manager, the Independent Assessor refused to recognize the issue? I was unable to address that problem. Post 8. Would you believe me if I said that I had to file a Freedom of Information Act request to see the evidence which was used to reject my complaint, which should’ve been disclosed in the ombudsman’s decision at the first place? Hint: I couldn’t obtain any evidence supporting the ombudsman’s decision. You are going to see why. Post 9. I know. You cannot believe it. Then just keep reading. You will see how serious the problem is that no one has control over an ombudsman. You will see that there are no real checks and balances in the system. They cover up the issues anyway, so I am sure it is done on purpose. How could you expect the financial firms playing fair when even the legal system is that rigged? They didn’t feel any shame when they got caught cheating. They didn’t show any regret. They don’t learn from mistakes. They are absolutely immoral. The goal could be genuine at the beginning, but now the Financial Ombudsman Service is only a subsidiary of the financial industry to protect itself against the public anger and the real accountability.

Had £300 nicked from my mastercard by someone who it seems spent a clone of the card in New York (I was obviously in the UK at the time). The bank immediately notified me by text and the card was cancelled. I was previously told that they'd refund the money within three days. The next person I spoke to told me that this was incorrect, in fact everything I had been told previously was incorrect. Despite this the bank is failing to refund the money to me. What can I do? It's been almost two months now. They say they won't do anything until the investigation is complete, meanwhile it's costing ME money.

I have been interviewed aggressively by two members of a investigation team for benefit fraud, they claim that from last June 2013 till April 2014 I did not inform them of a change of circumstances, i.e. a new bank account and the fact that over that period some £6000 was put in that account and a friend lent me £15,000 to buy a car, what Is going to happen.

in 2011 i purchased a piece of machinery on finance, in 2012 i sold it, i never settled the finance, it was reprocessed in 2013, in july of this year i was arrested for fraud, the amount is £20,000. i made a mistake, i had settled finance with this company before and after this particular sale, never heard any more from either the man i sold it to or the finance company , what is going to happen

Can any body tell me where in it says the court orders need to have a seal and signed by the judge . not just stamp.

My friends business partner and the company secretary have committed fraud against him. They have made invoices up sent them to the factoring company and they have been paid out, this has been done behind his back and only come to light. he has spoken to a friend in the force and he has sort of said that i will be very low on there list of priorities. it might be better if he takes out a private prosecution against them himself, they could still go to jail and a fine or both if found guilty. any truth in the private prosecution??

I am writing is in the hope that someone who has had a similar experience may be able to help us. We run a small family owned retail store in the UK. In February we received a call from a man who wanted to buy a high quantity of produce from us. Taking orders over the phone was a normal occurrence for us as our handheld streamline device allows us to do so if the customer giving the relevant security details ie: number in the address and postcode, D.O.B etc. We had no reason to suspect this was a fraudulent transaction as the card details went through successfully and the 'customer' picked up his order later that day. We heard nothing more about this case until the beginning of June when we received a letter from First Trust bank stating that there had been a query with the transaction back in February and that First Trust would be removing the money from our account. There was nothing in the letter stating that the transaction that had taken place in February had been fraudulent. It wasn't until we rang First Trust that an advisor told us the card that had been used was stolen and that we were responsible, since then we have been to the police, our local bank branch and we have contacted the customer help line several times and after being transferred numerous times we have gotten nowhere as we are being told it is nothing to do with the bank and that we are somehow responsible. If anyone can advise us from a similar experience they have had with the banks we would be extremely grateful. We do not believe it is right that the banks can take that money from our account (nearly £1000) plus charge us a fee of £75 to do so, we also do not believe we can be liable if all security was passed by us over the phone and the details came back as verified to allow us to carry out a transaction over the phone via the banks streamline device. If anyone knows of any agencies that we can seek advise from on this matter it may also be very helpful Thank you for taking the time to read this Jonny

Interesting reading from Scoop read here http://www.stalbansreview.co.uk/news/11364174.St_Albans_landlady_in_court_accused_of_conning_tenants/

Hi there, I received a letter yesterday to go for an interview because they have reason to believe I live with my partner. I have a complicated story and really need some advice as feeling so upset and low. When I found out I was pregnant with my daughter I also found out that my partner had over £24000 worth of debt that he has not disclosed to me. This broke our relationship apart and I decided that he was too much of a liability to live with as his debts were more than our income. He moved in with his parents and at that time we were not longer together which was a hard position to be in as a single parent and being pregnant. When our daughter was born she was premature therefor he stated in the house with my son while I was at hospital. We grew closer together and although he did not move in we started a relationship which has grown from strength to strength. He would come down every morning to help with the kids and also come over after work to see them both and help me with the house etc. this went on from march 2012 - start of May this year when he finally moved back in after I began full time work as a child minder and he had payed a lot of debt due to a second weekend job. My partners car was always at my home as I used it for my work and for the kids and he did not use it for work as always got the train. I received the letter yesterday and thought it was because I hadn't got round to phoning up the various benefits to inform the That my partner had Moved in just shy of 2 weeks ago. After phoning to ask about the letter they then said they have evidence to believe he has always stayed here. What kind of evidence is this? It was genuine but I have a horrible horrible feeling I'm in huge trouble? Thanks very much any advice would be much appreciated

It is not often that you come across a crime the nobody will investigate. But I have 1 for you. Business Insurance fraud. While individuals can be arrested for false Insurance claims of a few hundred, Insurance company’s & the representatives can do & say anything they want without recourse. 2 examples: I had an Nissan X-Trail that someone used instead of their brakes. It was written off. The insurer’s first offer to was £3,123. Then £4,000 eventually an agreed settlement of £6,421. More than twice the original. An X-Trail is not a difficult car to value so how can insurers or their representatives make such low ball offers? The second is that our home was seriously damaged due to vehicular impact. The insurer & their representatives have been a nightmare. Initially they said there was no damage, then it could be fixed for £200 …. £10,000 …. £40,000 … £140,000 … £200,000+. In this instance the insurer or their representatives undervalued a claim by over £200,000 or more than 1000 times. Individuals can be arrested for dodgy insurance claims of a few hundred pounds. But who is there to protect the consumer? The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (there to promote consumer protection & reduction of financial crime) created the Financial Services Authority (FSA) now the FCA as a regulator and the FOS, however neither will investigate an allegation of Business fraud. The FCA told me to seek legal advice. The FOS advertises that it investigates Fraud but in 14 years has NEVER investigated a Business for fraud or deception. For those unaware, the FOS chairman is the Chairman of Aviva, I guess impartiality cannot be expected. I contacted the Police, to find out that the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) is funded by the Association of British Insurers at a cost of £9,000,000. Action Fraud is run by the City of London Police. Clearly they will not bite of the hand that feeds them. The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) has been set up by Insurers to protect themselves. It would seem that the Insurance industry has this well & truly sewn up. The only option open to the private individual is to take legal action at their own cost, as advised by the FCA. UK consumer protection at its best.

I would very much appreciate some advice; really on just what happens next and possible time frames due to the enormous pressure I'm under. I will have to leave out much background for now as it would be too lengthy but am happy to give any/all background for the sake of clarity. In the summer of last year I had an interview under caution on the grounds that I was fraudulently claiming ESA benefit because the person I live with is my partner. This is most certainly not the case and I felt quite confident during the interview that I had managed to convey this. I was shown most of the DWP's 'evidence' pointing to the fact that he lives here, none of which I disputed as neither he or I have ever concealed the fact that he has lived here (for the most part) since I began to struggle with my health in mid 2008; all of his personal/employment/financial, etc, records show this as his address, he is on the electoral roll at this address; some of the utility bills are in his name on direct debits, etc, etc... all of which I told the DWP investigator. Since the start of my ESA claim, I have *just* managed to support myself and pay towards household bills through my ESA benefit, on/off work (permitted work, which I had always immediately informed the DWP of) and at times of more severe ill health/hospitalisation, by loans and handouts from two friends as well my ESA benefit. That interview under caution was in August of last year. In January I received their decision that we were "living together as husband as wife" along with an overpayment notice of ESA benefit amounting to just in excess of £13,000 and benefit was stopped. I immediately appealed the decision in early January and heard nothing. I'm trying to remove all the emotion in writing this as I don't think it's helpful or necessary, but needless to say the strain I am under is immense. I heard nothing with regard to my appeal, despite chasing them up and eventually wrote to the Minister for the DWP. The matter was just recently passed to someone in the DWP's Operational Excellence Directorate who contacted me by telephone. I transpires that my appeal was 'lost' by the DWP (whichever section deals with those, I don't know) despite the fact that, as I told her (the person who rang me from the OED) I had in front of me a letter acknowledging my appeal dated 30th January. She has asked me to resubmit my appeal to FIS in Glasgow (this I assume is their fraud investigation service) which I have done this week. There is much I have had to omit from this for the sake of not writing pages and pages. But there is some confusion over an ESA3 form. The original IUC was deferred by my solicitor (he spoke to the investigator, I did not) because she did not have in her possession an ESA3 form which she says I completed - it was lost. At the rearranged IUC which did go ahead the investigator still did not have the ESA3 form as it still could not be traced. During the interview the investigator either became confused or was lying when she told me I had visited that particular building previously, had met with her colleague (whom she named) and that I had completed an ESA3 form. In fact I had *never* been to that particular building prior to my IUC and have never met with the person she mentioned. My solicitor obtained a 'blank' form from the investigator for me to look at - I've completed many forms through the course of my illness but most certainly have never completed this particular form and I am not sure why the investigator would have said this? I'm sorry, this has become much longer than I intended but it's difficult to abbreviate. I'm currently trying to deal with all this by myself; legal aid/the solicitor's help does not cover the appeal process. My solicitor is of the opinion that, given the living together decision and the amount of overpayment, that the DWP will opt for prosecution. Can anyone please tell me what will happen next, or rather what the procedure is and how long, even approximately, it may be before I hear anything further? With thanks.

Hi I have today received a letter from the council advising I am under investigation for Benefit Fraud and I need to call to arrange an interview....I wasnt even aware i was on benefits? After 20 years working, this Jan I found myself out of work for the first time and despite my pride I signed on and received Contribution based Job Seekers. On the form it mentioned that I would be entitled to Housing Benefit, I held out on this for a further 3 weeks but had no choice but to apply for Housing Benefit and was awarded 380 every 4 weeks. I thankfully found a job after recieving my first payment and signed off JSA accordingly...heres where my problem seems to have started.....On the form for JSA it stated that the Job Centre would inform the benefits agency that my circumstances had changed ... my inexperience in this area meant I have incorrectly assumed that this meant Housing benefit too and as such not informed them directly.......it seems that this was a major error in judgement!! Upon investigation I have in fact had 2 further payments paid into my account for 380 which I honestly had not seen (partly due to having to wait for 6 weeks for my first paycheck from work and partly due to being an idiot).......I know ignorance is no excuse but I'm at a loss as to how to explain this without being bluntly honest? Can anybody advise on what happens next and what are the likely outcomes?

After some advice really I'm being sent for iuc for benefit fraud. A friend of mine was initially having probs with getting bank account due to her being American,so I let her use my account ,we have now moved in together approx a year ago as couple and stupidly didn't inform dwp of change of circumstances Now worried they will have got bank statements for last 4 years and try and charge me for fraud goin back 4 years which wasn't the case. Is having wages paid in enough to convict ?

Hello, I am new to this writing a question on a computer and am not sure what to do. I need help with being investigated for fraud. I have had an interview under caution. I have received a letter which states i can agree to pay an Administrative penalty and i have to go for another interview about it. I have appealed against the decision of the fraud. can i get copies of the interview or the tapes, what else should i be doing to help my appeal. All of this is new to me this writing a question, so if any one can help i would be grateful, Thank you Joanne

Hi Guys Needs your help, Im stuck with PaydayUK after someone fraudulently set up a Payday loan in my name. This all from my credit file review for my SC clearance, but after digging deeper the information used doesnt correspond with my Bank account at the time. Attached is a Letter which i have received from them. This has been registered with Actionfraud and all steps taken but they essentially are making it difficult and i dont know what next steps to take as they have referred it to their complaints team. FYI. The person who did this, shot like a lemon when i discovered it and because it was a housemate (Although i knew virtually nothing about him) It was kind of close to where i was living at the time. They claim that the loan was taken out, paid back and then taken out again... This was back in mid 2011. I was frequently out of the country during that year in Spain. Where do i go now? Their complaints team are dragging their heels...Making it difficult.

I recently was involved in a fraudulent car sale attempt via Autotrader. I wondered if anyone else had been involved in one. My primary aim is to publicise and ensure others aren't conned.

hi im new here and really worried, i was invited to an interview under caution for benefit fraud, i am just claiming job seekers. i live with a friend but they dont believe me. my main worry is that it will go to court and i will be sent to prison and have a criminal record, i dont work and that is what the job seeker money is used for. if i get a criminal record it would make it a lot harder to get a job. what do i do? do i admit it even though its not true or....any help? lol

I am currently in the process of trying to clear up my credit rating/file after a disastrous 10 year relationship and bad money management during that time. Its coming up to 9 years that I have been credit/debt free or so I thought, the ex of said 10 year relationship fe lt the need to open up various credit accounts in my name, from a credit card with Capital One, to 2 phone contracts (orange and T-Mobile), a few catalogues (SimplyBe (no idea why he did that) &Next) even the odd book club etc at both the family home (before & after I moved out) and my last address (he no longer knows where I live) all without my knowledge. He since spiralled out of control with his debt and went bankrupt, but left me it seems with 6 defaults on my credit rating that I am not the owner of! One will end in December, another March 2015 and the 4 remaining in 2017 I have already managed to get Capital One to remove one default noted against my account and I now have a CIFAS logged also. to the current issue at hand, on the 24th May 2014 I received a letter from Cabot Financial, which consisted of 3 pages the first was dated 12th May 2014 the first page holds lots of information from Cabot's reference, original lender, that account number, the amount I currently owe, any arrears, minimum payment, credit limited and the date the account was opened, the second page is a statement of account, which is dated the 7th May and the 3rd is a blank page and a payment slip. I am a little confused as the account in question was opened in 1997 belonging to Next (quiet probably my original account I opened when I was 18 so nothing to do with above potential fraud) its states that I currently owe £0 the account is in £0 arrears, £0 minimum payment and a £0 credit limit. Then it goes on to state that the letter is my agreement with Cabot for the period covering 1st November 2013 until 30th April 2014 and I need to make minimum payments to avoid my account going into arrears? Ive checked my credit file this morning and I do have a default on my credit file with Cabot which dated back to 2005 and has a default date of 2008 with a balance of £153. When I originally checked my file it was on my list as potential fraud by my ex as I don't remember opening anything in 2005. I am at a loss of what to do next so any help would be gratefully received!

Bit of a strange one , but I will try and keep it as brief as possible....... Received a letter requesting my attendance at a benefit fraud investigation, and that it would be under caution (and taped). Went today, and not sure what to make of it to be honest. They claim I did not report a change in circumstances 4 weeks after making the claim in 2009. In 2009 I lost a business, was left jobless, and instead of claiming dole, went self employed to make a fresh start. I informed the local council I had no income, and as such, received full council tax benefit (now called council tax reduction ). As with many businesses, I started off making a loss, and continued to do so for 3 years (albeit improving over the three years). Approximately 6 weeks after starting self employment, I did start to make regular DRAWINGS out of the business, even though there was no profit to support it. I was simply taking money to pay bills, out of the business. I was able to do so, and keep trading, due to a combination of the overdraft facility, favourable credit terms from suppliers, and eventually a full factoring facility. I had also declared Child & Working Tax Credit. The local council claim that these DRAWINGS were to be classed as income, and as I had not informed them, they believe fraud has taken place. I argued that my INCOME was classed as my share of the PROFITS, and if i had drawn more than the profits supported, then in effect this was a loan that was repayable on demand, and therefore no income. They argued I was wrong, but every time I stated that if I have made a loss, then I have had NO income, they replied, your income is your DRAWINGS. I then suggested, in theory, if my share of the profit was £100k, but I chose only to draw £20 per week, would I receive CTR, as I was drawing only £20 per week, and therefore that was my income? They declined to answer.... After 45 minutes, the interview was ended as we both agreed that the conversation was going around in circles, and it all hinged on what is classed as income. They are sending the evidence to some assessor, and along with the councils solicitors, they will decide whether to prosecute. I have since spoken to my accountant, who categorically states that incomes is defined by your share of the profits, and drawings are immaterial, whatever the amount. If I overdraw, then the excess is classed as a loan, as it is payable on demand! I genuinely believe I have done nothing wrong, but felt I could not get my point across, and that they did not understand. One of the interviewers claimed that she had a degree in accountancy practices, and that she knew what she was talking about, but when asked, she would or could not define the difference between drawing and profit. The question is does anyone know where I stand in all of this? I will be seeking the advice of a solicitor later next week, but based on my accountants point of view, he believes I am right Any advice would be grateful Cheers

Can anybody help me please. Let me start off by saying I'm utterly ashamed by what I've done and I am full of remorse. But I am shaking with worry as to what will happen to me. I was being paid carers allowance for a relative I was looking after. eventually the relative passed away. But the money was still being paid into the account I looked after for 2 years totalling just over £10k. And because I was heavily in debt and struggling with finances I helped myself to the money over that period. I was arrested a few days ago, I admitted straight away that I had taken the money and was interviewed under caution, then released on bail. I'm so ashamed that I just can't tell my wife and family or my friends. Do you think that I will be sent to jail for this? I have to report to the local police station once a week to sign in but I have never been in trouble before and I ain't sure what the process is. The officers said I will have to pay it back which I completely understand but I'm just worried I will be sent to prison. Whilst I was taking the money I actually declared myself bankrupt and have since got my financial woes back on track

In 2005 I started claiming as a single mother. The claim was legit. However in 2006 I traveled abroad and became ill and ended up staying abroad for several years with my kids. I never notified the benefits office or housing benefit and kept getting my claims paid until 2008. Then I applied for tax credit whilst still living abroad, until I returned to UK in 2011. What are the chances of my being prosecuted if this is found out and is it harder to prosecute historic frauds? Is there a time limit to prosecutions being taken?

Hi Everyone, On the 2nd and 3rd May totally £1250, my card was used and a refund was given for a number of transactions from a betting site. But then on the same day as the refund they used up another £1800. I then disputed these again. My daughter also put £2000 in my account without knowing what had been going on and this was also taken. In total I have £3550 missing. The fraud team at Nationwide said that they have a great relationship with the casino in a 'we don't believe you way' and asked me to go in the branch and present my passport to verify my ID and speak to them while I was there. I arranged that I would go on Friday of last week and I went but the woman I arranged it with was on holiday! They said I would get a call back on Monday but no call was made only a message stating that I had to again go in the branch. No apology or explanation. I phoned them up and said that I had already done that and was told that someone would call me back. No call back. I sent a steaming email (several) to Graham Beale and got a call back today telling me that I had to go back into the branch as it wasn't done correctly and sorry but that is procedure and nothing can be done without me doing so. I explained that they have left me with no money or no account, my husband is recovering from brain surgery and that I have limited walking capabilities because I had a knee replacement that is still painful. All I was told was NO NO NO they couldn't help. I have been on the phone to the BBA, FOS and the FCA to get advice and was told that they should make reasonable adjustment in regards to my circumstances. So another hot head email sent to Mr Beale. I have done what they wanted and its not my fault their fraud team are incompetent. I wouldn't mind but I have to take a taxi to get their which costs £10 each time. This would be the 2nd time. I had to lend money to go to the branch on Friday and cannot do it again. Isn't there anything else I can do as I can't see them helping me at all. Thanks Carole

A while ago I posted on hear about my former girlfriend being investigated for benefit fraud. The 2 agencies involved are DWP and he local authority. I am involved and are being investigated also and we have been interviewed and gave honest and frank separate interview. The case is based around me moving in on a part time bases with her after being her landlord and seeing her socially for 2/3 months. Her benefits have stopped and although we are now friend we have not carried the relationship on. While her benefits have stopped her son and mother are paying her bills. I have put the rent on hold and will sell the property as his is resolved one way or another. My question THE DWP have given us a date when they believed I moved in which was in writing and the figures they are asking for to be paid back are from this date.It co-insides with the rough timeline date we both gave in our interviews. The issue now is that the local authority are suggesting a completely different date/ which is obviously longer. My question is should they not communicate and give us the same date for the housing benefit and council tax to be paid back as the DWP are asking for and have given us in writing?