DWP Fraud Claim

[DarwinUK]

Hi Everyone.

 

Long story short. I have an ongoing complaint with the DWP and my local JCP. Ive had my complaint referred to the Director General Operations.

 

Background. I had an appointment for a course with A4E.. I turned up but asked if I could leave 20mins early to go sign on. A4E refused, so after a lot of chatting A4E said they would cancel the course and rebook later.

I then receive a sanction doubt letter. I replied, and basically DWP upheld the sanction, my first one and for the whole month of january. The sanction letter to uphold was dated the same day that I emailed the complaints resolution manager, and demanded my whole complaint be sent to the Director General.

 

Next bit is that today I had my local Council Housing Benefit Officer turn up unanounced asking if she could verify my DWP claim details.

She stated quite specifically that "DWP have sent us information saying that you have a home in London". ANyway she illed out the paperwork, checked our JSA paperwork, and after 10 mins she left. I should have requested then that I have a copy.

I went t the JCP this afternoon and signed on as normal. I also gave a letter to the assistand manager stating about the housing officer visit, and accused DWP of making accusations that my partner and me are guilty of fraud. So Ive made another formal complaint to DWP about this.

When I got home I also sent an email to the council housing department asking for copies of the documentation that they have about this, using the Data Protection Act.

 

So my question to you all is, hows the best way to proceed with this. Ive had no letters claiming fraud, no nothing. I believe this is an attempt by DWP to get me and my partner to go away. So I dont understand why this has happened. If there was any real evidence that I was frauding, then surely the first time I would hear about it, would be when I get a letter saying Ive got to go for an interview under caution ?

 

Hope you can help

Confused

[honeybee13]

Hello there.

 

I'll move your thread to the benefits forum, where some of the guys should know about this. Please bear with us until the ones in the know are able to take a look.

 

I'll leave a short term redirect on this forum.

 

My best, HB

[Stan Lee]

Are you living with your partner? Do you have any evidence of the involvement of the fraud investigation team on the DWP side of things?

[DarwinUK]

Hi Stan Lee.

 

Yes Im living with my partner. We lived with her parents for 8-9 years, and then got offered a flat and we've been here for nearly 2.5 years.

 

I put in a request to the Council for a copy of the information under the Data Protection Act, Im hoping it turns up today. So the only evidence at the moment is the Housing Officers Word. The council concerned is West Berkshire Council.

[Stan Lee]

I have several queries. 1) Where has the 'house in London' angle come from? Do you have any links with London, or is this just 'out of the ether' and complete nonsense? 2) Did the LA officer actually say that they had received information from the fraud investigation service, or just the DWP (i.e. why is this not being jointly investigated with the LA if there is indeed an investigation going on?) The wheels of the machine turn very slowly, and I doubt that the FIS would investigate you on the back of things that have occured with A4E/sanctions. If there is an ongoing investigation, then these things that have been happening in January will undoubtedly be correlated not causally related, and the investigation will have been occurring for a while. (Also, given the cost of a fraud investigation, I wouldn't assume it is there to make you 'go away'; they can still pursue you if you sign off.)

Even if there an investigation, they (the DWP) are unlikely to tell you that it is ongoing. I don't know the data protection law, but I would be almost certain that there will be opt outs for law enforcement officials and the like. I'm sorry I don't have answers for you, just more questions. At this stage, it might be worth a chat with welfare rights if you have them in your area.

[DarwinUK]

Hi Stan Lee.

 

1) - My family orginally come from Woolwich, but moved out of London during the war. My grandfather worked for Woolwich Arsenal, which moved to Theale.

 

2) - The exact words from WBC Housing were "We have been passed information from the DWP that links you to a house in London."

 

So my mind, and the way it works says, they are accusing me of fraud. But as you say, if they are investigating, then the first I would hear about it would be when I get a letter on the mat saying Im to be interviewed, under caution. This will be when they produce evidence and possibily photographic / video evidence of me and my partner actually going in / out of the property.

 

I also requested info under the data protection law for my original complaint. There were two comments which I sent a letter about, one from an advisor saying "PLEASE READ!! Claimant produced exact same jobsearch record that her partner had given!! Please keep an eye on these 2 in future as may be an asa doubt"

Basically both my partner and me are office based workers, admin and data entry. So we go on Reed and apply for these types of roles, I list these jobs, so if both people go for a job listed as "Administrator" then "Yes" it does look fishy. But the advisors have no common sense, and dont ask questions. I also said in one letter that there is no reason why my partner cannot go for the same job as me, if she feels it is suitable for her also.

 

Im scratching my head as to why they would say there is a link, because (as you said) the cost and the possibility of being accused of slander doesnt fit. Hence why I initially thought that its all releated to me complainning, and a very subtle way of saying "Quit complaining, take the £50 we offered you for bad service, and stop moaning. Oh and by the way, the day we wrote the letter saying we would uphold the sanction, it has nothing to do with you sending an email in the morning, asking for your complaint to be escalated to the Director General of Operations."

 

Im assuming Im just being paranoid, and just trying to find plausable commections here, as I know that there is absolutely NO property in London that we are connected with ?

[estellyn]

Have you checked your credit report, reading your post set alarm bells ringing for me about identity theft - as in someone in London is using your details. Important to find out asap, and if true, report to the police. Checking your credit report should give you an idea if something may be going on - and is often where the DWP/council get their info from.

[LaughingGirl]

I absolutely agree with Estellyn - check your credit file as soon as possible. It might be nothing to do with it, the whole thing could be a slightly bizarre administrative cock-up, but I'd still check if I was you.

[DarwinUK]

Hi.

 

Ive checked my credit report, and also got my partner to check hers. There's nothing on there that looks suspicious, we're both happy that everything is to do with us. So thankfully no identity fraud. So thats another thing off the list of reasons.

So my paranoid mind is still doing the Sherlock Holmes "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth".

Hopefully someone here can suggest any other plausable reason for whats happened.

[DarwinUK]

Hi Everyone.

Just wanted to post an update here.

I won my sanction appeal and today have had the money paid into my account. The evidence I received via putting in a SAR proved some nice paperwork. A4E had contradicted themselves, and I used the line "A Statement was signed by someone who didnt even witness the events, and dont witness statements normally have to be signed by a witness who actually saw the events?"

 

But Ive now had my DWP complaint referred to the Independent Case Examiner, and DWP have denied having any details regarding my previous address being in London.

So 30 years of computer use tells me the details were changed, a report generated and sent to the local council, and then the original details being changed back again, hence why DWP has no record of this info, or someone is lyeing. But hopefully having the ICE team go to DWP MAY get this whole mess sorted.

 

But thank you to everyone who gave advice.

Edited May 14, 2013 by DarwinUK