Invited to compliance interview (benefit fraud)

Mjl17xx · 10 July 2017 at 10:55AM

Hi all I am looking for some help.
I have been asked to attend an interview under caution with the DWP to asses my claim of income support. I'm a mum of two young children (3&4) and I stupidly commited benefit fraud (yes I know I shouldn't have) but won't go into too much detail. I will be attending the interview and telling the officer the truth, admit my wrong doing and offer to pay the money back. My question is, it says on the letter that the DWP need to interview me in regards to my claim for income support. As they have evidence to support I had undeclared savings/income. If I'm really honest I got some inheritance and I genuinely didn't believe it was classed as income as I was not using it monthly to live on and was a lump sum. Either way I'm asking if they will investigate my claim alone for income support or will they contact the local council and HMRC with regarding my claims for child tax credits and housing benefit too? I'm trying to figure out how they work it out and how much they will tell me I have been overpaid etc etc. Please if anyone has been in my position can you please advise? I'm under the influence because this investigation is being carried out by the DWP they will only he investing my claim for the 1 benefit I receive from them (income support) I will be coming off everything in a couple of weeks anyway as I now have a job. Thank you

geoffken · 10 July 2017 at 11:00AM

How long have you had the inheritance.
They will go back that far if not further.
How much do you think you have stolen?

Mjl17xx · 10 July 2017 at 11:04AM

I revived the lump sum in march 2015
And the amount I'm unsure of because i don't know if they'll take into consideration the other benefits from the council & HRMC or just the 1 benefit from DWP

pmlindyloo · 10 July 2017 at 11:08AM

Mjl17xx wrote: »

Hi all I am looking for some help.
I have been asked to attend an interview under caution with the DWP to asses my claim of income support. I'm a mum of two young children (3&4) and I stupidly commited benefit fraud (yes I know I shouldn't have) but won't go into too much detail. I will be attending the interview and telling the officer the truth, admit my wrong doing and offer to pay the money back. My question is, it says on the letter that the DWP need to interview me in regards to my claim for income support. As they have evidence to support I had undeclared savings/income. If I'm really honest I got some inheritance and I genuinely didn't believe it was classed as income as I was not using it monthly to live on and was a lump sum. Either way I'm asking if they will investigate my claim alone for income support or will they contact the local council and HMRC with regarding my claims for child tax credits and housing benefit too? I'm trying to figure out how they work it out and how much they will tell me I have been overpaid etc etc. Please if anyone has been in my position can you please advise? I'm under the influence because this investigation is being carried out by the DWP they will only he investing my claim for the 1 benefit I receive from them (income support) I will be coming off everything in a couple of weeks anyway as I now have a job. Thank you

Any capital over £6000 you have affects your claim for Income Support, housing benefit and council tax reduction.

Child Tax credits would not be affected unless the capital earned over £300 a year in interest.

Although you are being investigated by the DWP for Income Support there is little doubt that this will be reported to housing benefit and council tax and there may be an overpayment. it really depends on the amount of capital that you had and what you spent it on.

If you had more than £16000 then your Income Support should have ended. If it was less than this amount then it is possible that you might still have been entitled to some Income Support. If you were then HB and CT may not be affected.

Please tell us how much the inheritance was and what you spent it on.

Not reporting it in itself is a 'no no' but the outcome may depend on how much we are talking about.

marliepanda · 10 July 2017 at 11:51AM

If ones found out they'll all find out.

You're less likely to get penalties and fines if you admit it before being found out.

cattie · 10 July 2017 at 11:59AM

Mjl17xx, they will only be looking at your IS claim & will not contact your local council or the tax people.

As you've said you are going along to tell the truth, which obviously is the best thing to do, then apart from them wanting the overpayment paid back, plus maybe a tariff on top (like a fine), they will close the case against you once the overpayment is fully repaid.

Sillym00 · 10 July 2017 at 12:06PM

cattie wrote: »

Mjl17xx, they will only be looking at your IS claim & will not contact your local council or the tax people.

I'm not sure that's the case. If DWP end a benefit then HB/CC are informed and the benefits stopped initially. Perhaps they don't inform when it's fraud but I doubt it.

ceecee1 · 10 July 2017 at 1:00PM

Sillym00 wrote: »

I'm not sure that's the case. If DWP end a benefit then HB/CC are informed and the benefits stopped initially. Perhaps they don't inform when it's fraud but I doubt it.

DWP investigate all benefits now, including HB and tax credits.

It really depends on how much your inheritance was - if you had between £6k and £16k you would only be overpaid £1 for every £250 in savings over £6k.
If you had over £16k both income support and housing benefit would be overpaid.

It is only the interest from savings that affects tax credits.

I am slightly confused as you say you have been asked to attend a compliance interview but then say you are to be interviewed under caution.

You perhaps need to be aware that if any resulting overpayment is over £8k and you are taken to court that the overpayment could be recovered under the proceeds of crime and you will need to pay the full amount within a timescale set by the Court.

dippy3103 · 10 July 2017 at 3:16PM

cattie wrote: »

Mjl17xx, they will only be looking at your IS claim & will not contact your local council or the tax people.

As you've said you are going along to tell the truth, which obviously is the best thing to do, then apart from them wanting the overpayment paid back, plus maybe a tariff on top (like a fine), they will close the case against you once the overpayment is fully repaid.

As CeeCe says, the DWP will investigate all your benefits other than council tax support

marliepanda · 10 July 2017 at 4:01PM

dippy3103 wrote: »

As CeeCe says, the DWP will investigate all your benefits other than council tax support

But believe me, they will find out about the investigation and that claim will be assessed by the council. Considering housing benefit is very often assessed by the same office that deals with council tax reduction...

DebtMan2017 · 10 July 2017 at 4:41PM

Too many people in here seem to be avoiding the most important question......

How much was the inheritance ? :rotfl:

Invited to compliance interview (benefit fraud)

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