RE Am I committing benefit fraud...

[nick-name]

Post edited. Thanks for the help and advice below. I decided to take my personal probs off public display as it also attracted some humourous private messaging also could be seen as ignorant/prejudiced whichever way you look at it. Cheers anyway, this forum has already helped me a lot.

Edited February 20, 2009 by nick-name

[cadencealex]

Well... DLA is non means tested.. so you wouldn't have lost that... however, I think you should be honest and up front with the DSS.. take your community psychiatric nurse with you

 

Relax.. what's the worst can happen to you anyways? They're not going to punish you or send you to jail for this.. your illness will get you off with most things....

 

Sad but true

 

 

 

Just re-read your post - you're not on medication but under a Dr... hmmm... perhaps go get some medication quick and get rid of the voices?!

[nick-name]

Thank you for the lightening fast response. I just don't know how I can possibly tell them "I should have told you this 2 years ago" and have any credibility...I thank you for your sane and reasonable advice. I absolutely must keep an open mind and do the right thing.

[ErikaPNP]

Well if you don't tell them and they find out, they will be a whole lot tougher on you. Admitting it upfront is more likely to provoke leniency, than to continue hiding it if they find out later.

 

If you are going to tell them, I strongly urge you to get a welfare officer to act as your representative, or the CAB, as well as ask for the support of your medical professional.

 

It strongly depends too, on what benefits you receive, as some are not based on income, but do require you to disclose how many hours you work.

 

I think what you need to ask yourself is this: Can you really continue living with the constant fear of being caught? This is not doing anything to help your illness, if anything this can contribute to exacerbating it.

 

Given your illness, it is unlikely that you will be sent to prison or expected to work in the community although you will possibly be expected to pay the benefits back. Again, this depends on the benefits you recieved and what they were payable based upon.

[nick-name]

Cheers guys, I will sort this problem out through the proper and appropriate channels ASAP.