I was reported for benefit fraud, help!

[Faerie87]

Hi, new to this site. I'm relly stressed out because two days ago I was called into the jobcentre on the premise of a 'review'. I was taken into a room and it turns out some idiot has reported me for working whilst claming benefits. (I WISH I had a job lol). I do voluntary work regularly, which I have declared to the jobcentre, so thats not a problem.

 

Anyway, I wasnt really told what would happen next, just that I 'may' have surveillance on me, but im guessing they have already watched me, because they have tipped me off now if I WAS working. I have absolutely no clue who reported me. Not many people even know im on benefits. I live at home, so most people probably think my dad pays my way. Is there anything I can do, because this is obviously a false accusation? I'm not having people reporting me and getting away with it. I want to look this person in the eyes, in court if thats possible. My name is also foreign-sounding, so only someone I know would remember it to report me. Most people cant even say my name, nevermind spell it to report me.

 

Will going to the police help? I just want some closure. I keep getting upset about it. The irony of all this is I am 22 and havent even had my first job yet, how I wish I even had a job to lie about! Any info is appreciated.

[Aviva]

They are not going to give you the name of the person even if they have it - remember even anonymous reports need to be looked into.

 

I don't think that you would be able to do anything like take it to Court or Police if you do find out the name. The Benefits Agency needs people to report possible Benefit fraud and all the person would have to say in Court is that it was an honest mistake.

 

Sadly, in life you come across people who will be malicious or will stab you in the back. It's hard when you don't know who it is as then you feel you don't know who to trust.

[Faerie87]

If I found out the person's name myself I wouldnt need the police anyway. I plan on dealing with the matter myself. They will think twice before they try and report me again, thats for sure. Yeh I feel myself thinking about all my friends in my head, and who could have done it. I just dont know. Some people I havent seen for months, and many dont know that I'm on benefits.

 

Im going to contact Citizen's Bureau, I may have to pop into their office though, they never answer their phones, all day long!

 

Anyway, called the Jobcentre customer compliance department today. They said its all over, but they still didnt tell me if I have been judged innocent. I was also told that it wasnt true that I would be watched, yet the lady at the interview clearly said to me I may be watched, and my bank account would be looked into. She denied all of it. I wish I had a lawyer with me! I then called the benefit fraud hotline, and they were no help either. I feel like I am guilty! I am just really stressed out and upset all the time, I need closure.

[Like-Im-Being-Ripped-Off]

Faerie87

Sorry to say mate you will never know who did what and when, my advise is do your unpaid word declair it and move on don't let it get you down if you have nothing to hide just get on with your life and you might find a full time job.

GOOD Luck.:grin:

[Aviva]

How are you going to find out? If you accuse or take action against a person without concrete evidence (which let's face it unless the JobCentre give you their name or the person admits doing it you are not going to get) then does that not make you the same as the person who reported you. Someone who makes trouble for someone else without having all the facts/proof. Trying to narrow it down won't work as you may be surprised who knows you are on Benefits. People are often not good at keeping secrets and can let things slip to someone who then tells someone else and so on. People do like to gossip.

 

"I plan on dealing with the matter myself. They will think twice before they try and report me again, thats for sure." - By doing what exactly? Being violent? Telling other people what they did? You don't seem to want people to know your business. By spreading rumours about them? - again if you did that you would be the same as them. Two wrongs don't make a right.

 

I know your angry but the best thing is just to get on with your life and if someone does admit to reporting you then have nothing more to do with them.

 

The JobCentre have told you it's over. They know that sometimes people are reported for Benefit fraud because the reporter doesn't have all the facts or they are just being malicious. However, what they will not do is basically say you are innocent of everything they'll just stop any investigation so don't worry that they have not said this.

 

In life we don't always get closure and you have to learn to live with this.

[MIKEY DABODEE]

If I found out the person's name myself I wouldnt need the police anyway. I plan on dealing with the matter myself. They will think twice before they try and report me again, thats for sure. Yeh I feel myself thinking about all my friends in my head, and who could have done it. I just dont know. Some people I havent seen for months, and many dont know that I'm on benefits.

 

Im going to contact Citizen's Bureau, I may have to pop into their office though, they never answer their phones, all day long!

 

Anyway, called the Jobcentre customer compliance department today. They said its all over, but they still didnt tell me if I have been judged innocent. I was also told that it wasnt true that I would be watched, yet the lady at the interview clearly said to me I may be watched, and my bank account would be looked into. She denied all of it. I wish I had a lawyer with me! I then called the benefit fraud hotline, and they were no help either. I feel like I am guilty! I am just really stressed out and upset all the time, I need closure.

 

 

You clearly have not been working and the compliance team are taking things no further. Going to CAB will do nothing to help, its best now to walk away and forget this, some spiteful person may have wronged you but the department has to look into these accusations. You have nothing to gain now by fretting over this and hopefully you will find your first job.

If you keep going on about it then maybe someone will think you have something to hide, but you know this is not the case so let it be now.

[graham 1015]

Say Nothinig

[Shoelover]

Don't waste your time and energy stressing on this. The information was almost certainly given anonymously, but if it wasn't the DWP will not tell you who it was.

Move on, no point torturing yourself wondering who it was. Someone could have seen you sign on, and seen you go out to do voluntry work, put 2 and 2 together and got five.

[K3NNY]

Some unscrupulous people use the guise of voluntary work to do paid work. (work an hour unpaid then nip off and do 8 hours elsewhere paid and use the unpaid work for the reason they are unable to attend the prescribed time to sign on)

 

Take the time to thank the job centre staff for investigating the matter and proving that in your case this is not the case..........at the end of the day the person reported you for working whilst signing on this is as you state is correct you are working whilst signing on.

Stop wasting your time doing voluntary work and use the time to find a job, GO STUDY TO IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF FINDING A JOB...LET THE FOREIGNERS WHO INFEST THE EDUCATION SYSTEM DO THE VOLUNTARY WORK TO PAY US BACK....................................

 

You can hold your head high..........and even wave at the surveillance team.

 

The person who reported you will not have wanted to benefit from you being caught but to cause you the reaction you are currently giving them........

[luvmykids]

Im going through the same think but my accussation was that i have a partner living with me. unfortunatly my decision has come back as i have told a pack of lies at my interview, my benefits have stopped, rent & ct are full, childcare stopped while im a full time student! i can not beleive sum nasty twisted people out there who have nothing better to do. as a result in this im ready for blowing my top with certain folk on this road. there was no concrete evidence & i gave a really genuine reason why my ex was seen at my house 3 times in 8 weeks! i feel like a criminal when i honestly have done no wrong. at the moment im asking for the desion to be reviewed im taking this all the way but in the mean time i can not begin to say how much stress im under & how angry i feel. people who report people should be made to leave there details so they can be later asked to why they made these accusations. hope you get your wanted out come...it may be a long stress full process but hopefully in the end we will be proven innocant