Urgent assitance rqd - Interview Under Caution this Wednesday, 25th - Scotland

[carolmac34]

Hi there, Well it seems that nothing happens for ages, then it all happens at once.

 

I received a letter (and scary leaflet) on Saturday morning from the Council inviting me to an IUC on Wednesday 25 June. (My Council Tax Benefit post probably ties in with this http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/benefits-tax-credits-minimum/199218-council-tax-benefit-help.html)

 

Their letter is headed up 'Housing & Council Tax Benefits' and apart from that, the letter says nothing else about exactly what this interview relates to - the first paragraph says " A matter has arisen concerning the above which I would like to discuss with you as a matter of urgency". Can't be that urgent, as my claim for CTB was submitted to them in February (all noted in my other post).

 

I have never claimed nor received housing benefit in my life, as I have a mortgage, (and even when i was unemployed for 4 months last year, got no help on this front at all).

 

As they have yet to settle my claim for CTB, the only thing i can think it might relate to is when i was in receipt of CTB last year. I found work through a temping agency & started with them in the August. I did forget to tell the council about my change in circumstances at that time, but did eventually remember and wrote to them notifying them of the change in October and asked them to adjust my monthly payments. I never did hear anything back from them & they continued taking the lower amount from my bank account. Yeah, in hindsight, maybe I should have chased them on this, but temping wages are crap and assumed they would get round to it at some point (how stupid am I).

 

I have spent a lot of the weekend going through CAG and finding lots of useful posts and advice on this IUC & have made relevant notes for Wednesday's interview. I am going to pop into my CAB this afternoon, with copies of all the relevant paperwork I have between myself, the council & the benefits office. I doubt the CAB will be able to attend the interview with me, and there is no-one else that can come either, so I may just go alone.

 

From advice in others posts though, i will be saying 'no' to the understanding the caution bit and i also intend to record the interview on my mobile phone. I will be keeping my answers short and brief (and try not to rant at them) and if I feel that they are twisting things or that I can't answer then I'll say that i've already answered that or that i'm not sure.

 

I had to laugh at the last paragraph in their letter which says, "If you have any queries regarding this interview please contact me before the date of the interview and I will be happy to discuss anything that is unclear" HA! i've been trying to get answers from them since March re the delay on my CTB claim and they refuse to tell me anything over the phone!!

 

Any further advice anyone can give me would be very much appreciated.

 

Thanks

Carol :grin:

Edited June 22, 2009 by carolmac34

[citizenB]

I will leave this one where it is, Carol. But will amend the title to reflect that you are in Scotland. If it does need moving then someone will advise me.

[carolmac34]

thanx citizenB, appreciated

[citizenB]

Have also alerted the site team to your post:)

[carolmac34]

Just back from the CAB, bit fruitless really. No walk-in this afternoon, appointments only. So I was advised to call again tomorrow morning when they do drop-ins.

[carolmac34]

Called into CAB this morning.

 

They had a look over my paperwork and basically said that if I was comfortable going to the interview myself, then to do so & that I was entitled to a copy of the tape recording, which i have to request in writing. They then have 40 days to get this to me.

 

If anyone can give me any pointers I would be most grateful.

 

Regards

Carol

[diddled]

Carol - are you certain your IUC is tomorrow, because 25th is Thursday

[carolmac34]

crikey diddled... just as well you made that post... Not sure why i assumed it was Wednesday, but its definitely the 25th lol. (Can just imagine the look of surprise on their faces when i turn up a day too early lol.... ooops.)

 

thanks for that diddled

[GEORGE SAINT]

What is it that you dont understand about the caution? - Maybe someone can clarify for you?

[carolmac34]

George Saint - I think its just the fear of the unknown that's bothering me. I've read so many posts on here by folks saying they can be really quite abrupt & unpleasant about the whole thing.

 

The woman in the CAB yesterday also said that I could pop in and see them again after the interview if i felt the need to. To be honest i think my nerves will be shot to bits by then anyway, so would probably be better off going home lol.

 

(I laugh now, but i'll be bricking it in the morning)

 

Regards

Carol

Edited June 24, 2009 by carolmac34

[danbhoy]

Hi Carolmac, how did you get on, what was the outcome and was it as bad as you thought it would be, or if you havent been yet then good luck

[carolmac34]

Hi all.... Well the interview wasn't as bad as I thought it'd have been. I was in and out in 15 mins.

 

I went in all prepared, with all my paperwork & correspondence relating to this year's claim & it turns it was in connection to last year's benefit claim. Although i'd written to them in October advising them i had started working, they'd never followed it up (& i'd never chased it up either). (Just as well I had that letter with me).

 

So they said i should hear within a month of what the outcome will be. They said it'd be one of three - 1. Slap on the wrist & dont do it again. 2. Same but with a 30% admin fee added on top, and 3. Referred to the procurator fiscal.

 

They did say that option 3 was definitely not an option. So it's going to be either 1 or 2, guess i'll just sit and wait now...

 

Regards

Carol

[carolmac34]

A quick update.....

 

Received a letter from the Benefits fraud team on Thurs 23 July (dated 1 July) just confirming that we had the meeting etc, and that they "may still decide that you have had too much Benefit and we may ask you to pay this back". So as yet, i STILL don't know how much CTB overpayment was made.

 

However, North Lanarkshire Council have now sent me 2 summary warrant notices, one for 2008/09 (which is what the IUC related to) and the other for this year 2009/10 - for the full amount before Benefits.

 

It really sickens me that the the Benefits Office & the Council Tax Office don't liaise with each other like they're supposed to. Despite being on JSA since February i'm still banging my head off the proverbial brick wall with them!!! One office says, "no we dont have any benefit claim in place for you, pay the full amount" & the other says "we are still sorting out you claim for CTB".

 

I'm in the process of writing to both offices yet again and politely telling them where they can stick their summary warrant notices and not to bother contacting me again until it has all been sorted and finalised once and for all. I feel this is nothing short of harrassment and am getting more and more stressed with every letter/demand i receive.

 

I'm currently going through the forums to see if anyone else has had harrassment like this from the Council. Surely there has to be someone further up the line I can report this bunch of idiots to?

 

Will report back as and when i hear anything

[AWC]

Thanks for the update Carol, I have been reading your thread with interest as my mother is in very much the same situation. She had an IUC over 5 weeks ago (she went well prepared too with tons of paperwork) because she didn't tell the council that she had a change of circumstance and ended up not paying enough council tax, an under payment of £1,200. Anyway, she had a follow up letter 3 weeks ago from the council saying she owes the above amount, to which she paid in full on the day she received the letter and since has heard nothing.

 

Good luck and keep us posted!