Compliance Call about possible unintentional UC fraud? didn't declare my savings?

[sephypri]

Hello guys,

 

I was stupid enough not to disclose savings and was called up on it in a compliance interview - since then my mind and body are a complete wreck and I'm really worried about the future for me and my family .

 

How do I find a decent solicitor? searching through lawsociety and looking at the google reviews seem a little pot luck to me at the moment. Please help!

 

 

[dx100uk]

you most probably dont need one.

 

when did you make your claim?

 

dx

[unclebulgaria67]

You will owe an overpayment debt to DWP.

 

Agree you don't need a Solicitors. You just need to confirm your savings information and DWP will work out what you need to pay back. 

 

They will ask you why you failed to disclose and you will need to think about your answer. Why did you think the savings were not relevant to the benefit claim ?

 

Depending on how you came into the money, there can be reasons that they would disregard it. E.g. if it relating to a compensation award. But you would need to evidence this.

[sephypri]

I made the claim roughly 2 years ago. I was coming out from a bad patch in my life and I don't know what I was thinking. I would like to redeem myself but i don't know how i could cope if convicted.

[honeybee13]

Compliance isn't as scary as it sounds and this is probably a normal benefits check. But as UB says, you need to declare this. Is it a large amount of money?

 

I doubt that you're anywhere near being convicted, especially if you're co-operative when you speak to them. Honesty is the best way.

 

HB

[unclebulgaria67]

Admit to an error due to your head being in a bad place at the time.

 

In most cases, they will treat it as an overpayment debt and may add an administrative penalty,

 

Very unlikely you would face prosecution based purely on this.

[sephypri]

I had the compliance interview last week and I denied having any savings at the time of application (I'm such an idiot). I was told to expect a letter in the post. How can I redeem myself ?

 

I was thinking of using the change of circumstances change within the system to halt payments and declare savings in the meanwhile.

 

Using high estimates i would owe about 20k so the real value is under this a bit.

Edited January 30, 2022 by sephypri

[unclebulgaria67]

On your claim under report change of circumstances,  you can report savings and investments.

 

Suggest that you do that and send a journal message explaining.

[sephypri]

Ah yes thank you I see the option.

[sephypri]

just to clarify the UC payment is somewhere around 8-9k with the rest being HB. I have updated my change of circumstances.

[unclebulgaria67]

DWP staff and also Council staff are trained to help people going through these difficultiess.  If you are open about the struggles you are going through, then they will look to help you.

 

Unfortunately, once you have been out of work for awhile, it can be more difficult to get back into employment.  But gaps in employment are very common at the moment.  A significant number of people across the UK, lost jobs end of 2019/early 2020,  then Covid hit making it very challenging. The good news is that people are now getting into employment. 

 

Best route back is to find temporary work through recruitment agency and then once you have worked for a few months, to then apply for more permanent work.  The temporary work is showing that you are back working and any employer offering permanent work may be a little more confident that you would be a reliable employee.

[sephypri]

Thank you UB, that sounds like a good plan.