Benefit fraud interview HELP PLEASE!

[hannah87]

I have received a letter from the job centre stating "I am conducting an investigation into alleged criminal offences in relation to a claim to benefit."

 

Try and keep it brief, on and off with ex for a number of years, have a 5yr old together then had a one night stand with the ex and another person around the same time and fell pregnant (despite using contraception) and have a newborn baby who I'm 99% certain is the ex's.

 

I live on my own with the 2kids, claim income support, tax credit, child ben, and housing benefit.

 

Ex came with me to register the birth of the newborn and is named on the birth cert, ex was homeless at this time and so his address on the birth cert is the same as mine.

 

He calls in regularly to see the kids, and has stayed over a few times in the spare bedroom to help me out with the kids.

 

The letter doesn't say what I'm meant to have done wrong but I'm assuming they think he lives with me which isn't the case.

 

What happens at these interviews? I get tongue tied when stressed and want to know what to expect, if they have evidence of ex leaving my house which they may well have as he comes to see the kids can they prosecute me even if I say I haven't done anything wrong?

 

The letter also hasn't come from my local job centre it has come from an office in a different county borough, does anyone know if this is 'normal'?

 

Any advice would be great!

[flumps1976]

It sounds as though you have been invited to attend an Interview Under Caution (IUC).

It would also sound as though it is because you are claiming benefit as a single parent but have conceived and given birth during this claim to the same registered parent as you elder child that you have together.

Every single mother who gives birth to subsequent children within the lifespan of her claim to Income Support is investigated especially if the father named is the same as for the other children.

Are you linked at all in in any other way? Bank Accounts, any other finances, bills, post for your ex partner arriving at your home? Do the school hold you both as parents at the same address for your elder child?

[hannah87]

Yes sorry I should have said it does say it's an interview under caution and I'm terrified! He was living on his own but the landlord wanted the property back and he had nowhere to go so was sleeping on sofa's at his brothers and at friends so as far as I'm aware he changed his address with the bank to my address as he didn't want mail going to his old address and from what I can remember when I put him down as emergency contact for school I put his number and left the address blank as I didn't know who's sofa he was sleeping on at the time! He's also on my car insurance as it brings my premium down, I feel stupid now but it didn't occur to me that I was doing anything wrong!

[EagerElephant]

Does your ex work because if he doesn't then any Overpayment is likely to be minimal as his only income would also be benefits?

 

Is he still your ex or are you partners but not living together?

 

I don't think it looks good especially if he does not have an address of his own and his post comes to your house.

When you put him on the car insurance did you say he lived at your address?

 

I find it strange that so many people not in relationships with the father of their children still act as though they are together and do things such as letting the ex's post come to your address and putting them on the car insurance.

When I split from my ex (father of my son) it never occurred to me to put him on my insurance to lower it or to still let his post come to my address.

 

If Income Support deem you as living together so will Housing/Council Tax Benefit and also Tax Credits.

[jadeybags]

If he doesn't work, it's likely they will have under paid you if they insist he has been there.

I was still paying my exes life insurance for a good year after splitting. We still had a joint bank account for years. And he stayed over every other saturday night to be with the kids. I went & stopped elsewhere, usually coinciding it with a night out.

They are really clamping down these days aren't they!

[EagerElephant]

I don't think she will have been underpaid as based on what she told us her claim for Income Support was based on being a single parent - therefore if she was part of a couple she would not have been entitled to claim it (unless she/he was a carer or too ill to work) and they would have claimed JSA.

 

I think it is only right that they are clamping down on people - you should see the Overpayments which have come about via Tax Credits and that is only a small minority as they concentrate on the previous two years only and a lot of people have been playing the system for years!

[jadeybags]

Yes I always disagreed with that, they cut costs though don't they, quicker to do it the lazy way & just check out the last year or 2. Tax credits is an interest free loan option half the time.

But what I mean when I say underpaid is there could have been some underlying entitlement (I am not sure if that's the right term) It's complex & you usually have to do your own homework, they rarely do that for you, but I have known people to have over payments knocked down from 11k to 1k after a fight.

 

Also yes I agree with clamping down, tax avoidance would also be a good one, seeing as that costs the country god knows how many more millions each year than benefit fraud, once again, probably costs more to investigate. But if they had clamped down when I had split from my ex, they would have hauled me in. But there is no way we were in a relationship, ewww shudder lol I don't think his girlfriend at the time would have been too thrilled either lol

Edited April 8, 2013 by jadeybags

[hannah87]

Does anyone know what happens if I fail to attend the interview? I rang them to re-arrange the time and was told I couldnt take my youngest with me, she's 9wks old and I've got no one to have her so I'm not sure what I'm meant to do!?

 

If I ring and ask for more information so I can write a statement instead of attending will they tell me anything? Will this make matters worse?

[jadeybags]

If you don't attend, they could send the police round. Worst case scenario. But it wont go away.

If I was working in that office though I would love to cuddle the bubs whilst you were in the IUC. If they are insisting you go on that date, you have no choice but to take her.

[impecunious]

Does anyone know what happens if I fail to attend the interview? I rang them to re-arrange the time and was told I couldnt take my youngest with me, she's 9wks old and I've got no one to have her so I'm not sure what I'm meant to do!?

 

If I ring and ask for more information so I can write a statement instead of attending will they tell me anything? Will this make matters worse?

 

 

Just tell them that your 9 week old baby is breast-fed on demand and you have no choice but to take her with you.

 

Impecunious!

[hannah87]

I was going to ring and say I'm breast feeding etc but don't want to agitate them! I presume if I turn up with baby they'll send me away or postpone which will extend the worry further! She said I couldn't take her because of the tape machine.

 

I have a stand by I could ask but I'll have to give them a reason for needing their help and I don't want to tell anyone what's going on because I'm too embarrassed.

 

When I rang to change the appointment time (it clashed with picking the oldest up from school) I asked what it was regarding and she said 'living together allegations' so I simply said ok thanks.

 

So what should I take with me? I want to be as prepared as possible so am making some notes but it's hard to have answers prepared if I don't know what they'll ask.

[hannah87]

Sorry if I'm rambling!