Customer Compliance Officer home visit next week. Help please.

[Matchgirl]

Just had one a letter about a home visit. What can I expect? Why do they call?

 

I'm on IB and IS and I have never had a visit before.

 

I have upset a neighbour recently although not by personal confrontation, so I wonder if this is something to do with them?

 

I don't have anyone stay over and never have since I divorced. There are men in my circle of friends that help me with odd jobs and trips out, but that has always happened. I sometimes stay away from home but I'm sure that's allowed.

 

I can't think what I have done wrong. I'm finding this quite upsetting and I don't know where to turn. My heads in a spin.

[honeybee13]

Hello there and welcome to CAG.

 

I can't claim to be an expert on compliance visits, but we have people who are. You're right, people can make malicious allegations.

 

From what I've read on the forum, and this hasn't happened to me personally, usually it's routine and can even end up in your benefits being increased.

 

You sound to be a nice, honest person, so please try to stop worrying. I'm sure you'll have other advice.

 

HB x

[Matchgirl]

Is it worth giving them a call?

[honeybee13]

I don't know, sorry. Hopefully someone here will.

 

HB x

[Matchgirl]

They are paying the mortgage interest on the house and now my son is at university it is only me in a three bedroom house.Can they force you to sell your home?

[PriorityOne]

Please stop worrying.... No they cannot force you to sell your home.

 

I've had 2 of these visits in the past when I was on Income Support. The 1st one was purely routine and had nothing to do with anyone causing me problems.... The 2nd was shortly after the 1st (which I queried) and I was told it was to do with someone trying to cause me problems this time.

 

Compliance visits are sometimes linked to unsubstantiated anonymous reports, yes.... but where the evidence they've been given is not enough to pass over to the Fraud Dept. So if anyone has tried to drop you in it so to speak, they've been too vague for DWP to do anything with the info. and are coming out to see you instead. DWP have to do this whenever a report is received... whether it's true or malicious.... and they are very used to malicious reporting.

 

It's really nothing to worry about.... both of my visits were absolutely fine. In fact, on the second visit I offered her a cup of tea and we sat chatting about thyroid problems!

 

[Matchgirl]

Thank you. I feel a little better now.

When they come to look round are they here for long? Should I make them a drink?

[edwardcullen]

Hi,

 

I was dating some-one who was 2-timing- I didn't know. They contacted me and asked if some-one was staying over and I was honest and said no. I never heard back. It was the person's partner who found out where I lived. I dumped him for being a 2 timer....

 

Amber

[PriorityOne]

Thank you. I feel a little better now.

When they come to look round are they here for long? Should I make them a drink?

 

No, the person won't be there for very long.... they'll just run through some questions with you but it's not like an interrogation or anything. You can offer them tea if you like but they'll probably decline.... the only reason my lady accepted was because she'd recognised my name and address from a visit a short time beforehand and after speaking with me, realised that someone had decided to file a malicious report against me. The info. was so ridiculously untrue that I realised who it was almost immediately. The Compliance lady said that they got this sort of thing all the time.... but had a duty to follow up everything.

 

Hi,

 

I was dating some-one who was 2-timing- I didn't know. They contacted me and asked if some-one was staying over and I was honest and said no. I never heard back. It was the person's partner who found out where I lived. I dumped him for being a 2 timer....

 

Amber

 

OMG.... that's awful!!! Good job you found out though....

[Matchgirl]

Will they need to look round the house?

[PriorityOne]

Will they need to look round the house?

 

I'm not sure if they have the right to do that actually.... but if they ask, it's easier to just show them. I wasn't asked though.

 

[Matchgirl]

I'm not sure if they have the right to do that actually.... but if they ask, it's easier to just show them. I wasn't asked though.

 

 

Runs off to tidy house.

 

I didn't think they would be allowed but wondered if it had happened to anyone.

[honeybee13]

Hi Matchgirl. I don't think you've mentioned why your on IB, but if it's for mental problems, I seriously recommend you don't tidy the house assiduously. I can't tell you all the circumstances, but looking too together worked against me once.

 

I'd be interested to know what the guys think.

 

HB x

[Matchgirl]

I have osteoarthritis in my hands and other joints.

I am starting to worry more now especially as they might look round my house and make assumptions.

[honeybee13]

So if you have osteoarthritis, housework is hard for you, yes? I'd be inclined to do nothing much and then apologise profusely because you'd love it to be immaculate but your condition prevents it.

 

What do we think please guys?

 

HB x

[Matchgirl]

I have never had a visit before and to be honest the thought of this scares the life out of me.

 

I suspect my neighbour has said something as she mentioned to another neighbour (who told me) she wanted to know how I could live in my house on my own. She has had arguments and fallen out with all her immediate neighbours except me. I am the only one that is single and an easy target.

[antone]

I'd say that would be fine. Compliance visits are intrusive, pretty much by definition, and I wouldn't suggest anyone need go out of their way to tidy up the house.

 

In any case, however bad the Matchgirl may feel the house is, the Compliance Officer will certainly have seen a lot worse.

 

Edit to add: This post is a reply to Honeybee, if that's not clear.

[edwardcullen]

Will they need to look round the house?

 

It depends on what the 'complaint' was. As they were looking to see if some-one was living with me they asked to look around and were looking for 'mens' things- there was absolutely nothing. If you have nothing to hide don't worry. If you have done some-thing plead innocent. i hope it all goes well. There are very few nice people left in this world. x

[PriorityOne]

Don't tidy the house... that's not what I was thinking at the time anyway. The only reason I can think of why they might want to look around is to find evidence of a man staying there.

 

They're not there to check how clean your house is.... but it's worth mentioning that you find housework difficult if asked and it may also be worth mentioning that you have nosy neighbours who seem to be trying to cause problems for you by gossiping and making assumptions.

 

Nosy neighbours are the absolute pits when you're on Benefits!!

[Matchgirl]

It depends on what the 'complaint' was. As they were looking to see if some-one was living with me they asked to look around and were looking for 'mens' things- there was absolutely nothing. If you have nothing to hide don't worry. If you have done some-thing plead innocent. i hope it all goes well. There are very few nice people left in this world. x

 

The main bathroom has my son's bits and bobs in but he is away at university but I don't move his bits out. I have an ensuite and this is just for me.

 

I'm really struggling to hold myself together. I just want to sit and cry.

[antone]

The main bathroom has my son's bits and bobs in but he is away at university but I don't move his bits out. I have an ensuite and this is just for me.

 

I'm really struggling to hold myself together. I just want to sit and cry.

 

Here's the first thing to remember: if they really thought you were up to something, fraud or whatever, there is a separate Fraud section that would be investigating. The most common reason for this type of compliance visit is that they have received a tipoff and they don't really think there's any problem. It's just that they have to look into it.

 

It's not a crime or fraud to have your son's things in the bathroom. If they ask about the things then tell them the truth; a few razors or whatever do not constitute evidence that you are in an undeclared relationship.

[PriorityOne]

Try not to worry Matchgirl... you've done nothing wrong, so they can't prove you have. My daughter's at uni. and I've got her things at home with me... it's completely reasonable. If DWP started an investigation based on that kind of thing alone, they'd look like complete twonks!

 

[Matchgirl]

It makes you wonder how a single person can start a new relationship and take things slowly before the DWP decide you are a fully committed couple and your benefits become affected. I suppose it depends on how they class you as being a couple in a relationship

 

I'm happily single. I have a good circle of friends both married and single. I get invited out to dinners, drinks and parties. I don't need the stress of a man about the house.

[PriorityOne]

It makes you wonder how a single person can start a new relationship and take things slowly before the DWP decide you are a fully committed couple and your benefits become affected. I suppose it depends on how they class you as being a couple in a relationship

 

I'm happily single. I have a good circle of friends both married and single. I get invited out to dinners, drinks and parties. I don't need the stress of a man about the house.

 

I've heard that they look for a regular pattern to overnight visits, evidence of financial support and so on. If a new boyfriend has his own address however, then it's very hard to prove and they know that.

 

I know exactly what you mean about man-stress Hun.. I've been single for a long time...

[Matchgirl]

I've heard that they look for a regular pattern to overnight visits, evidence of financial support and so on. If a new boyfriend has his own address however, then it's very hard to prove and they know that.

 

I know exactly what you mean about man-stress Hun.. I've been single for a long time...

 

 

 

I've never had anybody stay over, however I do spend nights away from home, go shopping with men fiends and had some dodgy dates.