A visit from the complaince officer

alexiawest

About 3 weeks ago I got a letter saying that I had to have a work focused interview, it said I had already missed one and if I didnt attend my benefit may be effected ( I never knew anything about the first 1 ! ). I wrote and explained it would not be possible for me to attend due to my health problems, I am pretty housebound. I wrote a very explainitory letter and offered to get my gp or health worker to contact them and conform what I had said.
The following week I got a letter saying that a customer compliance officer was coming to see me, I got very upset and nervous about it, wondering what on earth I had done wrong as I did a search online and it seems that these officers are mainly used when fraud is suspected, so I was trying to work out what I had done wrong.
I had to call and cancel the appointment and rearrange it, the person I spoke to said it was due to not attending a work focused interview, in a way I was relieved because I know Im not suspected of fraud, but I am still really worried.
I have heard that not attending an interview will mean your benefits are reduced, but on the letter I got it said you must attend OR give a good reason why not, I wrote and gave a reason and this has not even been acknowledged.
Does anyone know what the complaince officer will do? Will he just warn me that its a legal obligation etc or am I in trouble?
The compliance officer is coming tommorrow, any time between 9 and 5 they said, so I cant even prepare myself for it, Im just going to be sitting all day worried untill he comes, I feel so sick and I know I wont sleep tonight.
This was just over 3 weeks ago it all started and they have still been paying me - I am on incapacity long term and dla middle care and low mobility. Im really worried that they are going to either stop or start reducing my money, but going out is so difficult for me and even when I do go it makes me so ill, surely the fact that I am on middle disability ( and they know what my illness is ) means they would realise that this interview is not something I can do, let alone work.
I really want to work, my dream has always been to become a midwife, if I could I would, but I cant and I feel bad enough about that as it is without complaince officers coming to my house.
Has anyone else been told they have to have a work foused interview, but youve not been able to go? If so, did they send an officer to you too, or did they accept your reasons?

[Deleted User]

First of all being on dla doesnt mean you cant work,as people who work can also claim dla,incapacity means you cant work atm,the wfi are to help when possible people prepare for returning to work.I suspect the compliance officer is coming to see you because you have explained that you cant go to them.
You are allowed if you like to have someone with you when they call(a friend/neighbour/relative).
I`m sure you have nothing to worry about,and that no one is a)going to stop your benefits and b)force you into a job next week.

Savvy_Sue

Did you keep a copy of the letter you sent explaining why you couldn't attend the first interview?

alexiawest

No, I didnt keep a copy of the letter, I didnt think to, but I did get a proof of posting and on it it doesnt just give the jobcentre address9 in which case they could say I sent something else if they wanted to be funny ) but it actually says work focused interviews dep, then the name of the person wo wrote to me.

allydowd

Sometimes a Compliance Officer will just come in, check a few documents, and then leave again. Have you read this thread?

CCO thread link

alexiawest

Ive just read some of the posts on your link, it seems they mainly come if you are in trouble. Its 4pm now and they still are not here, ive been sitting on edge all day, to make it worse everyone in the shared house I live in has now come home, so they will all be here and listening in when he arrives.