I have my first appointment at Ingeus in a couple of weeks and I am worried. I am 57 years old and I have been unemployed for just over a year. Prior to this I was on ESA as I was declared unfit to work. I suffer with depression, anxiety and have bouts of panic paranior. It is under control with daily medication but it does make me very nervous at interviews and the thought of working in a environment with lots of people. My condition therefore affects my day to day living. I don't know how the staff at Ingeus will view me, or deal with me. I can't accept just any old job, but I fear they will force me to. Any opinions please?

Scenario: Mrs AA who is in her late fifties has been claiming CT benefit for the past three years and declaring that only herself and her 24 year old daughter are living there, her income is circa £81 per week and her daughters income was £25p/w at the time. She only claims a widows benefit and as she is generally housebound as uncapable going far distances alone, she does not work or go to the job centre to claim her JSA. Mrs AA has limited english speaking, reading and writing capability due to being brought up in a non english speaking envirnoment and has mainly depended on her children to interpret and help her with her claim, primarily her daughters. The daughter moved out for approx 14 months from Feb 2011 and Apr 2012 during which time in Sept 2011 She started another job £400 p/c/m on average and that has been her income since. Mrs AA did not notify the council of the changes i.e. daughter leaving and daughter returning with a different income. Recently as October 2012 Mrs AA recieves a letter from the Birmingham City Council Counter Benefit Fraud Team or FINCBFT inviting her to an interview with one of the auditors: "We are in receipt of information that indicates that the details we hold in relation to your benefit claim may be incorrect. As a result, we would like to interview you regarding this matter.... etc etc .... If you are unable to speak or read English please bring along someone who can interpret for you...... etc etc..... If you normally wear reading glasses, could you please bring them with you to the interview as you may be asked to view documents..... etc etc" PLEASE NOTE: there is no mention of fraud within the body of the letter nor is there any mention of the interview being conducted under caution. I am another daughter of Mrs AA and I have been living away from the address in question for some time now but have had some bank accounts and some credit cards under this address and I generally help my mother with her benefit claims (along with another one of my sisters who occasionally helps out too). I called the auditor on behalf of Mrs AA saying she can come but I'll have to bring her due to Mrs AA not being able to travel alone nor being able to speak English, auditor said fine but then hesitated and said not anyone directly involved with the claim or anyone who has helped her with the claim. I said fine, I helped her quite some time ago and she replied "ok, we'll see" I took my mother at the appointed time and the auditor came down to meet us in reception and she started off (in front of all other waiting public) "I need to interview Mrs AA, I understand she can't speak English", I replied "Yes, I'm here to interpret", Auditor says "you are connected to the case (I think she said this), so it can't be you" quickly followed by "I need to interview the person responsbile for filing the claim, was that yourself?", Panic took over so I mentioned that it was my other sister, auditor took details down of other sister at which point I said we both had equal contributions, so auditor took my details down too (both us sisters live in the same house) and the auditor later said "I'll be wanting to interview your other sister (and also dropped in "or whoever filed the benefit claim")". The tone of voice was different (to when we spoke on the phone) as if firm and strict, lacking pleasantness or tact, courtesy and as if her judgement passed already. so now a letter is pending to be received by my sister living at the our address. At times I feel this is a trap, the way the auditor worded the letter (standard no doubt) and the way the auditor spoke on the phone and the way she spoke to us in front of the public, she has confused the hell out of "who should/can attend or who shouldnt" in two comms encounters... because it is I who helped her with the claim in the end, can I now attend although I was previously told I couldn't? Anyway even more curious to know what info they have which goes against the claim and confused to why Mrs AA hasnt had a notification yet saying her benefit has stopped pending investigation. Do I have the right to request what info they have before hand? What happens next, what are the options, what is the best one to proceed with? Although the letter is vague, I don't think it would be wise for Mrs AA to attend the interview until it has been made clear whether the interview is a IUC type or not, but any way of finding out what info they have before going in blind? if it is a IUC a legal aid rep will be needed but it hasnt been confirmed yet and im not sure of the process within the birmingham city council. Is it worth contacting the local MP about this as it potentially can explode to something unexpected / undesired or it could be wrapped up in five minutes??? if it could be wrapped up in five minutes why has it ended up in the CBFT department, hence it must be serious but wheres the IUC letter, on the internet / forums there are a lot of mentions of this letter but not of the one Mrs AA received...... somethings got to be different. Aware that these new counter benefit teams emerged around oct 2010 around the UK since the election of the coalition government to crack down on benefit fraud as part of its new budget and it looks like auditors have targets to meet and are using a whatever means necessary? Also aware the current benefit system ends in April 2013 where a new system comes in which reduces the likely hood of some people claiming where they were able to before... Your opinions and advice will be deeply appreciated.

Hi I have recently been suspended from work and I have an interview with my employer to discuss what has happened. I need to take someone with me to help me out legally is there this kind of help out there. Im not really in a position that I can afford to pay for a solicitor. Please could someone point me in the right direction. Thank you

hello all, i quit my first job 5 yrs ago when i relocated..i attended a first interview 10days ago in a well know co..wen asked, wat was i upto in past 5 ys, i told i tuk off to spend time with my family & applied for visa & work permit & by the time i got it, it was last year but the fact is i got my visa in 2008....i actually wanted to say that i strtd lukin for work since a year ! he wrote down somethin at my visa status on my resume ! i shud have corrected myself but i was so tensed attendin an interview after 7 yrs now i got a final intervw with vp.. i'm so tensed & guilty that i'm unable to prepare..this job would help me with my financial situation..i'll b interviewed by a diff person..what shud i do, say if the topic arises abt my visa status ! the date on my work permit is 2008 ! any suggestions wud really help me out here ! thankyou, yum

Not sure if this is the right board, but I have had several interviews recently for jobs which I haven't been successful due to the strong competition out there. However, I have got another interview lined up for next week at a company were I did temporary work a few months ago. I really enjoyed my time there and was sad to leave. Any advice? Thanks

I am on ESA but today I received a letter here for a 'ESA personal adviser interview' at my local JobCentre for next month. In October I won my ESA appeal and I was recommended that I do not get re-assesed for another year. Does anyone know what this interview is about and what is expected?

hi my name is david, i am really worried i have been suspended from work last night with pay, for doing something so stupid i can't believe it. i have been with my company for 10yrs, my friend and i was at work saturday night, my friend purchased a air gun from another friend at work we were test firing it out the way facing the woods at around 1am when my supervisor caught us but it took him until tuesday night to suspend me. i am now suspended but my friend is on holiday and not back at work until next tuesday then he will be suspended as me.Just wondering my supervisor said i will be getting a letter through the post to attend a interview, not sure but would that be with my manager or someone higher up, and one more thing i dont think my supervisor was following procedure he should have suspended us saturday night not tuesday night, me and my friend are 100% confident that we will be dismissed any help would be grateful thanks

http://www.channel4.com/news/emma-harrison-im-a-useful-face-to-have-a-go-at Link says it all

Can anyone offer me advice on what I might expect from an interview under caution? Got the letter today and very worried. Is it true they rarely prosecute if you admit and offer to pay back?

hi, i have an interview soon and i am in two minds about giving the reasons for my recent departure.... i know i will need to come clean at some point as the references go back 5 years so will need to give details but if i admit during the interview then i dont think i would even be considered anyway... anybody know of the HR policys for such things for a certain big blue chip holiday company?

Hi I am totally panicing as my husband has an interview under caution on thursday. The only information that we have is the letter asking him to attend. Our story is pretty complicated but here it is. We had some buytolet properties and our own property, all with mortgages, however due to redundancy (my job) and rental gaps, found that we were at the point of no return and the bank started reposession of the rental properties. Our own house was also included in this. We were visited by a rep of the bank and he basically told us to move and get a rental property asap, as we had kids, and he knew our sitaution was inevitable. So my husband made a claim for himself me and the kids, as we had no income. There is no equity in any of the properties due to the current market, and our own house either. We moved into a rental property and have been looking for jobs, and awaiting someone making us bankrupt. We have no capital, savings or anything. We are racking our heads about what this is. My husband cannot remember what he put on the form as we have been so stressed over the past year, plus I was having tests to do with my heart due to stress and he was worried. But he was upfront when attending his meeting about us owning propeties. I also received around xmas a small amount from my previous employer, but this was outstanding money due to me, less that £800. There were some small amounts of rent that went into the business account but these were paid direct to debters. Am feeling awful as I don't want my husband to go to court of jail, and my profession is a notifiable one, so I would never get a job again. I am ill with worry, and feel so guilty, but don't know what we have done. I am trying so hard to get a job, I feel like I am going mad. Any help appreciated. Thanks for reading and sorry for waffeling, don't know if it makes sense.

what reason could i give to delay my 1st esa wrag work-focused interview? it's on monday and due to my mental health i'm terrified of going! i'm currently appealing being put in wrag and my gp will be sending a letter any day now to the jobcentre to say they should put me in the support group. so i'm hoping to postpone the app' or if i can't postpone do the app' via phone instead. any advice?

Would it be classed as unfair for one candidate to be interviewed by 2 people, have one 'observer' in the room and one note taker; and the other candidate to be interviewed by just one person and had one person note taking? Also, do I have any rights in requesting the original notes and scoring system? I have received feedback but it is extremely vague. E.g Effective communication - 70% etc etc. Many thanks. Any advice would be very gratefully received. Kind regards Waltolla

My son suffers from Anxiety, Depression and Agoraphobia among other things, He's gone through all the usual stuff so far, failing his ATOS medical, appealing and succeeding and has been placed in the WRAG and I am currently appealing on his behalf to be placed in the support group and have been waiting months as usual for a reply. I called to check on the status of his appeal since getting a letter about his interview and now they have no record of it, even after calling up months ago to check they had indeed recieved it. However I am more concerned about this interview, originally we were told it was possible for a home visit but this has turned out to be false and he is being forced into going to his first work related interview next monday at the job centre. He has already had this deferred once already and now they are adamant that he has to go next week. There is no way he is going to be able to go and the thought it is already affecting him and making him shake/panic and worry, I am wondering what i can do if anything about this interview?

Dear friends I am writing on behalf of my daughter. My daughter suffers from severe mental issues and when under pressure she blacks out and is unable to remember who she is or anything at all about her past. We are forever trying to find her after she has had some sort of pressure and wandered off. She is also in a lot of physical pain from internal scars. On 20 July she had to attend an ESA Personal Advisor Interview She was told at the interview that she has a year in which to find a job. At least I think that is what she was told as straight after the interview she phoned and told me this but that is all that she can remember. Her memory of the interview has gone due to the stress involved and the thought of having to try and find a job. Her husband did go along to the interview with her but he is not saying the same as she is about it. He says that she has 18 months in which to find a job. Of course that is not the point as whatever happened the thought of having to find a job and go out to work is causing her so much stress it is impossible to speak to her or get any sense out of her at all. There is also the stress involved with the thought that she will lose her benefits if she does not go out to work at the end of this period as they find it so difficult to manage as it is. Since the interview we have been having to watch her constantly to ensure that she does not wander off as when she does so it is difficult to find her again. I am not sure if your site is the one where I can get some help for my daughter or not. I have registered with it but I do not know where to go from here. The doctor says that she needs to appeal and get in touch with Citizens Advice. Is this the best way to go? or other? It is not helping that I do not have any paperwork about the result of the interview - all I have is the origianl letter that she was sent for the interview on the 20th. Please tell me what to do and where to go from here in order to help her. Thank you

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/video/2012/aug/01/wonga-loan-chief-executive-video?INTCMP=SRCH Errol Damelin, co-founder and chief executive of Wonga, talks to the Guardian's deputy editor Ian Katz about lending money to vulnerable people; the nature of payday loans; why his company is able to lend money to people on benefits; and his reaction to Amelia Gentleman's March 2012 article about his company

After all the trails of this last year with Housing benefit, they suspended my claim in January 2012,, the asked for evidence Bank statements going back to August 2011 wich were duly handed in. 2wks later they say they know of another account in which transfers were made from, which is true but was one back in 2009 but had no funds in the account when I applied for HB and JSA and in actuality I gave them the account details, it didn't come from them, plus all of which was handed into the compliance officer. So since February i've literaly been handing in the same documents, even when they moved the goalposts and have handed in statements from the begining f my claim, inlcuding the defunct account which is closed and has had no activity. This has caused horrid problems with my landlord a housin society who tried to have me evicted back in June, that was suspended until 2nd August when I appear in court again. I feel that I'm being harrassed and they are working in conjunction with the housing society (hence why the judge through it out the last time) now the investigator who wasn't available prior intiial evction hearing has since returned 3wks ago and despite several letters/phone calls has now told me that a formal interview is planned for 24th July a mere 10 days before my next eviction hearing. Where can I go for advice I've no money will the CAB be able to have someone in court with me, I've no idea what is going to happen, I literally cannot give any more information that asked for. I've proved I don't have or never have had the excess capital the statements bear that out and yet they still persist, I fear my eviction will go through on the 2nd August and why has it taken them so lon to resolve this 7 months. Help!! thanks

I recently got feedback from a interview that said "I wasn't sure you were so confident with Excel". I have been to college and gained good marks in units using Excel, and I'm pretty sure I completed all the tasks he asked me to using Excel. It makes me wonder what is the point of going to college to gain certificates if a Interviewer can just say you are no good based on a 2 minute test?

Hello I am a new member but have read through some of the threads that pertain to my situation. However, this is slightly different, and I was hoping for a little advice. My husband was initially called for an IUC two weeks ago. He suffers from congestive heart failure and is not at all well. We are claiming housing benefit and he also gets pension credits. He is 65. The housing benefit does not touch the amount of rent we pay to a private landlord, there is a short fall of £700.00. Obviously he had no idea what they were going to ask him. In fact the investigation was into me, not him, as I have been desperately trying to start a new business with an old friend in America. To that end we designed a free web site, in January, which they showed him at the interview, and my bank account. Our friend has been helping me out with the rent money with the hope that we could get a business going with the website. My husband has been unaware of my efforts as I wanted him to be as unstressed as possible. He has really not long for this world and I have been trying to keep him calm and content. The money paid to me was not income, just loans until we could get some business going. We have not, and have earned not a penny from this venture. They have now written to me, to explain the situation. Following my husband's interview quite naturally he is worried, as am I. The payments have not been regular, only as and when our friend could afford to loan me the money. I am trying every which way to get a business going, because I cannot work full time away from home because of my husband's condition. I personally have claimed no benefits at all and been honest about my only income which is £400 rent from a BTL house that is now in negative equity. Is there anyone who can give me some sound advice. I am quite happy to tell them truth just as I have here. Thank you.

My partner got a IUC letter and he went for the interview last week, they said it was relating to a claim made in 2009. This is how the story goes.... Febuary 2009 partner was diagnosed with type one diabetes, lost his class two licence subsequently lost his job, got another job but was made redundant three months later, we got really behind with the mortgage, was due to go to court to have the house repossesed (thankfully family intervened and bailed us out) He put in a claim for himself, me and the 3 kids was awarded IS,and part housing benefit, but here is our downfall, he didnt declare i was working , which we know was wrong and dishonest, but i only worked 4 hours a week, wasnt on a set wage i only got commission so we didnt think we had to declare it (stupid i know) but we had never ever claimed any benefits as we've always struggled and didnt want anything off the state but we were as they say "up **** creek without a paddle" We came off benefits in december 2009 when he got full time work again.Because he worked for the construction industry which was hit hard in the recession he has been made reduntant a further 3 times since then, but we never made a claim as he was always determined to find another job no matter how hard things were.Last year he started with agencies which were very hit and miss with work, a week here, three weeks there. In august 2011 i phoned (or so i thought) to tell tax credits that he was working but couldnt tell them how long the work was for as every Friday he didnt know if he would be going back to the site! I got a full time job in January of this year but my partner was out of work, so i told the tax credits this and they said they thought he hadnt been working from August 2001 and would amend our tax credits we are now paying back our overpayment,any how the DWP want me in for an interview now and i dont know what to do or say as we dont know how much the tax credits know and its scaring me silly, we've had our renewal form for tax credits but we dont want to claim as it may open a whole new can of worms. We will pay back every single penny of any overpayment that is owed we just dont know what the outcome of all this will be, my partner is preparing himself for a stretch inside!!! If anyone can give me any ideas on what to do or say before i have no hair left i would be truely grateful!! P.S sorry if this thread is long winded

I had an interview with Customer Compliance Officer at my place about a week ago. I was really worried and nervous about as I didn't know what it may refer too, I mean I knew it's to check my circumstances but still quite worrying! Any way, lady came and she was really nice and everything but at some point I've realised that this is all about me leaving with another girl and they're checking if we are a couple. We are not a couple, we rent an 3 bed apartment together where each of as has own room, we share kitchen, bathroom and living room, also we use 3rd room as a junk room. Questions she were asking were really awkward and it didn't really felt nice to answer them as it was a bit personal :/ Nevertheless I was doing my best to give honest answers. I got reply just yesterday saying "On the evidence available I have concluded you are living with Miss X Y as a civil partners" and that they passed that decision to the Jobseekers Allowance Changes section. It is mentioned about evidence in the letter with the decision but it doesn't say what evidence. I was never inform before about any evidence to exist, I wasn't told that someone phoned in and told them so.. nothing! So I was really devastated when I received that letter yesterday. And honestly I don't know what to do! We are NOT a couple, we are good friends who can rely on one another! And I'd rather want to live with her than rent a room with a strangers! How can appeal to this if I can?! How can I find out on what evidence a DM based hers/his decision?! Please help! I need to sort this out ASAP as I'm struggling with money and will have huge problem with paying rent, not mentioning getting food......

hi i have just received a letter telling me i need to be interviewed under caution i receive middle rate care and high rate mobility i suffer from rumatoid athritus . iwork in a small cafe i have done for 6 years but the hours i work have changed over the years due to my condition i was working 2 days a week my boss was very good by puting things in place for me eg opening cans jars pealing potatoes basically thing i was unable to do i took holiday for days i was unable to go in and come home if i could not finish a shift once i got home that was me finished for the day as once i sit after walking or working i can not walk i have very little use in one hand and it is a struggle to get through a day at work i left my job 3 weeks ago due to it getting to much then received this letter today i dont know if ive done wrong and im in a terrable state can anybody give me any advice as to if i have done wrong these are the only benifits i have ever claimed i have always worked . thankyou

Hi all, I've been 'invited' to attend an investigatory interview over an allegation of wrongdoing, along with other colleagues. I have been told that I am not allowed to speak of the matter, or speak to any of my colleagues regarding this or there will be 'implications'. Are my employers allowed to restrict my speech? I'm close to my colleagues both inside and outside of work, its kind of bizzarre all being under investigation, and knowing that each other is, but not being able to talk about it.

Hi any help on this matter would be very much appreciated. My mum has received a letter to say she must attend a interview under caution. She is worried sick as she does everything by the book and wouldn’t do anything intentionally wrong. My dad had a stroke and she dropped her hours to 15 a week, and looks after him the rest. He started to receive a very small pension, he filled out the forms to let them know but he either forgot to send them or they were never received. his memory is severely effected as well as other things however still looks after finances. To my mums knowledge he had informed them of the pension and she is doing everything by the book. Can she get in trouble for this? Thanks in advance for any help.