Letter from the Customer Compliance Team

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

Ive just received a letter from the DWP Customer Compliance Team saying they need to visit me to discuss a query that has arisen concerning my claim to benefit.

I currently claim Incapacity Benefit, Income Support, Housing & Council tax benefit, Child Tax Credit and DLA for myself & my 2 sons aged 12 & 14.
Myself & my eldest son both have Asperger's Syndrome and my younger son has ASD & Dyspraxia, I also have a 10 yr old daughter.
I also had Breast Cancer a couple of years ago & have had 5 operations in the last 2 yrs of which have all been unsuccessful, consequently & also due to my Asperger's Syndrome I suffer from long term depression, anxiety & insomnia.

I have seriously depended on my family over the last 2 yrs for help with my children etc, due to my insomnia I am usually awake most of the night & then struggle getting up in the morning to take my kids to school. Up until recently my ex husband was coming round every morning to get them up, dressed, breakfasted etc & taking them to school, he has now moved 90 miles away & ive been seriously struggling. The school are threatening me with the Educational Welfare officer & that I may be prosecuted & even go to prison.

It seems someone, most likely my new boyfriends (I met him online 6 months ago) ex & mother of his 10 yr old daughter has phoned the DWP stating he lives with me although this is untrue, up until this week my boyfriend had his own house 40 miles away that he paid rent, Council Tax & utilitity bills for. He has now moved to his mothers house that is only 15 miles away so that he can come over more often & help out with my kids, ie take them to school & pick them up etc.

Obviously the period they are disputing I can prove my boyfriend had his own house but what will happen if they start watching me now & see my boyfriend coming round everyday to take my kids to school, it clearly states in all of my medical records that I have problems sleeping & heavily depend on my ex for help with the children. If my boyfriend isnt allowed to come round & help out with my kids then I will probably be prosectuted by the Educational Welfare. I am really at my wits end & feel like im damned if I do & damned if I dont, surely there must be some kind of allowance made for people in my situation?

Id be grateful for any advice, many thanks in advance.

dmg24

Hi BCS,

Welcome to MSE!

Try not to worry too much about this situation, the Customer Compliance Team have to investigate reports that they receive, but will give you chance to explain your side of the story.

If you just tell them what you have written in your post they should be satisfied (though they may verify where he lives, by checking electoral roll, bills etc). If they do need further information, perhaps you could offer to get letters from your GP and other professionals involved in the care of yourself and your children?

Good luck, let us know how you get on x

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

Hi dmg 24, thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my query, I really appreciate it.

Ive told the DWP that I need my Occupational Therapist to be present during my interview due to the communication difficulties my Asperger's causes, I shall also be obtaining a letter from my GP confirming the support I require.

Fingers crossed common sense prevails & the DWP see that I genuinely need the support my boyfriend can provide, I shall definitely keep u all informed incase my experiences can help anyone else in this situation.

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi There

If they would have been watching you and they had proof, it would have been an interview under caution.

I think there are other reasons why compliance get involved other than someone reporting you.

PP
xx

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

Thanks for your reply penny-pincher,

When I phoned the DWP to say I needed my Occupational Therapist to be present during my visit due to the communication & social problems my Asperger's causes, she said that the visit wasn't anything to do with my illness but to check whether I still live alone. Obviously this has made me jump to the conclusion ive reached, maybe I am reading more into the situation than there really is as I am prone to anxiety & paranoia.

Hopefully I am over analysing the situation & fingers crossed it's just a straight forward case of me confirming I do live alone.

Many thanks again.

veggyboy

HI I think you might be reading to much into this. I know it's stressfull but as you say your BF comes round helps with the kids, takes them to school etc. But If he doesn't stay over night on a regular basis you will have no problems. If they were watching you they would see this. They just have to be seen following up on complaints.
Relax as much as you can about it. Getting stressed wont help you.

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

Thanks veggyboy, I think you are right, I do tend to over react & read more into things than is probably there, unfortunately thats the autism in me, as you can see it makes for a very stressful life, I will try not to worry too much & see what happens.

AsknAnswer

Breast_Cancer_Survivor wrote: »

Thanks for your reply penny-pincher,

When I phoned the DWP to say I needed my Occupational Therapist to be present during my visit due to the communication & social problems my Asperger's causes, she said that the visit wasn't anything to do with my illness but to check whether I still live alone. Obviously this has made me jump to the conclusion ive reached, maybe I am reading more into the situation than there really is as I am prone to anxiety & paranoia.

Hopefully I am over analysing the situation & fingers crossed it's just a straight forward case of me confirming I do live alone.

Many thanks again.

Whether or not the visit is due to your health, you still have the right to have your Occupational Therapist with you. You didn't tell them you needed her there to clarify your illness; you told them you needed her there due to communication issues, which are brought on by your illness. If you want her there then have her there, it's your house.

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

Thanks for your reply AsknAnswer.

The woman I spoke to from the DWP didn't seem to like the idea of my Occupational Therapist being present, she asked whether I could just have a friend present instead. Obviously if im properly represented by a medical professional she will have alot less chance to stitch me up. But seriously I need my OT to be there to calm me down as im likely to get very stressed especially as the DWP woman probably isn't going to listen to anything I say.

sharski

I really don't think that going into the inteview with that attitude will help...

Who says you are going to be 'stitched up'? Who says the 'DWP woman isn't going to listen to anything you say'?

The compliance officer is only trying to do her job - most people would be pretty peed off if reported incidents weren't investigated...
I suppose she's damned if she does & damned if she doesn't!!!

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

sharski wrote: »

I really don't think that going into the inteview with that attitude will help...

Who says you are going to be 'stitched up'? Who says the 'DWP woman isn't going to listen to anything you say'?

The compliance officer is only trying to do her job - most people would be pretty peed off if reported incidents weren't investigated...
I suppose she's damned if she does & damned if she doesn't!!!

Im just going by the things ive read on these forums & by how the woman from the DWP reacted when I told her my OT needed to be present, ive also had dealings with the DLA so know how these people judge on appearences, ie I look completely normal.
I am autistic & have communication & social problems so talking to anyone I don't know face to face is an issue let alone someone who I feel will be waiting for me to say something that might wrongly implicate me as commiting fraud.