JSA benefit fraud, initial letter confirming information, could lead to possible prosecution

[Shoelover]

It's to do with how much you have been overpaid and not the amount in the bank. Have they asked you to attend a taped interview or cautioned you at all? If they are merely asking for the info then it's compliance. That would explain why they are not writing to your solicitor.

 

I think you are jumping the gun with all this worry.

[jabbaHutt]

they are investigating the fact that i had over £16,000 in my savings when i claimed. that is why i think it will go to prosecution. i havent yet had any interview or caution. just a letter asking for information about my account.

[Shoelover]

That's compliance not a criminal officer. What's the job title (not name) of the person that sent you the letter?

[jabbaHutt]

there isnt really a title just, "on behalf of the fraud and error service manager".

thats all. other than the name of the person.

i dont know if including that would be a good idea.

 

thanks

[Shoelover]

Don't put the name on. Sounds like a compliance letter to me.

It would be signed by an investigator and have the job title investigator underneath. Does the letter just ask for info and no appointment is given?

[jabbaHutt]

hello,

 

this is what it says after her name in an email she sent recently, FES Local Service Compliance Officer.

there is no appointment or interview at this time. just inquiring about my account, though speaking to her on the phone she mentioned that it could go to fraud depending on what information i was willing to give her. thats when she started making comments about me getting into trouble if i dont tell her what ever she wanted to know.

 

many thanks shoelover

[Shoelover]

It could go to fraud if they need to get authorised officers to approach your bank using the Fraud act.

How much benefit have you had in total? That will indicate the maximum possible overpayment.

Did you tell the solicitor that it was signed by a compliance officer?

Seriously, they almost certainly will slap a civil penalty on you (£50 fine) but it's sounding less and less likely that they are going to do anything other than put it right.

My advice is go to welfare rights and get them to help you put a letter together and send the info on. The longer you hold out the more likely they will wonder what you have to hide.

And lastly (and for once I am going to shout!!) STOP TORTURING yourself. It's nothing like as bad as it first seemed. However it's not going to go away on its own. Contact welfare rights or CAB on Tuesday.

 

 

Better? Xx

 

 

 

Ps will you let us know how you get on?

[Shoelover]

As for the account number that's unusual, it might be a roll number which is what building societies used to use. Chill!!

[mikeymack2002]

It may pay you to check out your credit file to see if any accounts (bank/savings) are listed, if so then you can start to find out what is being looked into. If you have a bank account this is normally listed in your credit file, savings accounts are not normally shown.

 

 

It would also pay you to look at the search history to see if and other unknown entries are listed. You may be a victim of ID theft. This is worth checking out...

[louise2012]

The DWP also wanted to see my bank statements which I posted on 20 April and my letter said local service compliance. I'm still worried myself as I've still not heard anything back yet.

 

Also how long do is it normally take for the DWP to get back to me?

 

Thanks

[antone]

The DWP also wanted to see my bank statements which I posted on 20 April and my letter said local service compliance. I'm still worried myself as I've still not heard anything back yet.

 

Also how long do is it normally take for the DWP to get back to me?

 

Thanks

 

There's no way we can say for sure how long it will take the Compliance officers to deal with the statements you've sent, but a few weeks would not be unusual. I wouldn't be worried at this point.

[eddie the wire]

From reading some of the reports online, an early admission of guilt, expressing remorse and an offer to repay the money usually leads to a slap on the wrist.

[thrubolt]

Why worry, the DWP latch onto those who are in need, believe it or not I voted tory at last 2 elections - never again. They have shafted me big time. Duncan Smith has the Scottish Police Force investigating him over PIP Payment disaster with suicides. Tell DWP to sling their hook. They employ snotty nosed little brats to do their dirty work, I know, because my sister in law works for them - enough said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[antone]

Why worry, the DWP latch onto those who are in need, believe it or not I voted tory at last 2 elections - never again. They have shafted me big time. Duncan Smith has the Scottish Police Force investigating him over PIP Payment disaster with suicides. Tell DWP to sling their hook. They employ snotty nosed little brats to do their dirty work, I know, because my sister in law works for them - enough said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Telling the Compliance officers to "sling their hook" is a pretty decent way to get benefit payments stopped unnecesssarily.

[Shoelover]

Why worry, the DWP latch onto those who are in need, believe it or not I voted tory at last 2 elections - never again. They have shafted me big time. Duncan Smith has the Scottish Police Force investigating him over PIP Payment disaster with suicides. Tell DWP to sling their hook. They employ snotty nosed little brats to do their dirty work, I know, because my sister in law works for them - enough said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

How have they "shafted" you?

 

But I'm sure the o/p is grateful for your advice..

[jabbaHutt]

i contacted the woman from the dwp a few times about getting the new letter with the new information that she requires. she sent me a reply saying that she is changing teams and that it would be a while until she can sort things out, also, she sent a letter already. i have not yet recieved this and i told her that, she said that she would resend it.

could she say that i am stalling because i have not received the letter?

this is some thing that is worrying me now, i know that she could get the information without my help. i dont want to seem like i am not willing to sort this out. my thoughts are that i would end up in prosecution and she would say that i refused to help and refused to respond to letters that she sent.

 

what can i do to safeguard myself against this sort of thing?

 

thanks shoelover

[Shoelover]

The fact that you have asked for the letter to be sent again says you are trying to sort it.

You could ring them tomorrow & say what you have said above. Take the name of the person you spoke to and keep a note. If you are really worried you could ask if you could pick the letter up from the office to cut out postal delays.

Have you told them how worried you are?

 

Perhaps if you were to tell me what you are afraid of I might be able to put your mind at rest. You are doing all that can be reasonably expected of you

[Shoelover]

How's it going Jabba?

[jabbaHutt]

hello,

 

i havent heard back from the woman at the dwp.

 

 

i spoke to a social worker at an autism group that i go to.

she told me to write a letter, that way they have to respond.

 

 

i am going to draft a letter and ask for her opinion on it and hopefully that will do something.

she told me that if i write a letter they wont prosecute me as i have admitted to what i have done.

i am not sure if this is correct.

i read that if they can prosecute they will.

 

it is causing me to worry a lot about it.

i am worried what affect it could have on me, prison or conviction.

 

 

i would have to tell an employer about a conviction, leading to me not getting a job.

 

 

this could possibly affect my credit which could affect my chances of getting a loan or mortgage in the future.

[dx100uk]

you wont goto prison

you most prob wont get a conviction not for £840!!

you wont have to tell your employer anything

it cant affect your credit file .

 

 

stop worrying over stupid things you have read.

that apply to people that have defrauded £10'000 of pounds

they do not apply in your 'case'

[antone]

There is no indication from anything that you've said that they're considering prosecution.

Give them the information they're asking for.

 

 

If there's been an overpayment they'll want you to make arrangements to pay it back

and, as mentioned earlier, there is a possibility that they might add a £50 Civil Penalty (CP) to the amount owed.

 

 

A CP is not a criminal penalty, does not give you a criminal record,

and does not need to be declared as a conviction when you're looking for work.

 

If they were seriously considering prosecution (which would be very unlikely for such a small amount)

then you would not be dealing with Compliance.

You would instead be interviewed under caution by Fraud Officers.

Edited May 18, 2016 by antone
"...does *not* need to be declared as a conviction..."

[Shoelover]

I agree with Antone. It sounds as if this is being dealt with by compliance & that means you are likely to get a civil penalty of £50 and that's it. Is the officer aware that you have autism?

[jabbaHutt]

Hello,

 

I did tell the woman from the DWP that I have Aspergers and that talking on the phone,

with the things she is saying to me, is making me very anxious.

 

I still haven't received the letter she told me she has sent and resent. That was a month ago.

I think that her intentions are to accuse me of not getting the letter so she can go another route to get the information.

I have drafted a letter that I want to send her, recorded mail, this way she should get it and know that I am willing to help.

 

This is the letter:

 

In response to the email you sent me on 29th April, I have not received any letter yet.

Please could you send me the letter requesting the information that you require for your investigation.

 

 

you mentioned on the phone that you required new information that wasn't included in the original letter.

Please could you explain what that new information is.

 

Also, I have some anxiety issues and phone conversations are not a good idea

so any communication would be best dealt with either through email or letters, the former being preferred.

 

 

I would like to make it clear that my intentions are to be fully co-operative and provide any information required.

 

 

After looking through my records I may have made a mistake when claiming benefits,

please could you let me know how much over-payment has been made and how i can pay it back.

 

 

This is the draft, any advice on what I could add or take out would be great.

Thanks

[Shoelover]

With the best will in the world, letters get lost. As a compliance officer she does not have any other route to getting your bank statements.

 

 

Your letter is great- seriously there's nothing I can add. You are doing your best to put this right.

 

Do you feel less worried now?

[mikeymack2002]

But the DWP can access your bank accounts anyway. If they need to... This is data sharing....