Help needed = working and income support

mum2one

Apologies if this has already been asked and answered, my friend is in the same boat as me, both our situitations nearly the same (bar I'm disabled), as we're both on Income Support, your allowed to earn £20 per week without affecting your benefits. She's been working casually, average £20 to £40 a month, sends in all the wage slips and bank statements monthly, she works for 2 companies, and has done it all above board, informed job centre plus, her single parent advisior, etc

Now in this mornings post, she said she recieved 2 letters, the first asking her to send all her wage slips for the last yr, and fill in a form regarding the income and employer addresses - even though they have already got the information

The 2nd letter - she has been asked to send her original bank statements,for the month of July, for all her accounts and get any bank books updated, and send these again for July, Expanations for any movements, receipts for whats she brought is any big purposes. As they need to review whether she has a claim for income support, even taking into account her daughters savings accounts, she has about £2,000, so shes def not hidden money away.

She had problems about 4 years ago, someone obviously had it in for her, which is what the fraud advisior basically agreed with, but apparently if someone makes an allegagtion, which they can do anomously, these have to be checked - which they were, my friend was totally legal, which she is now, she asked me had I had the same forms,

Shes just worried that someone is trying to knife her in the back, and has to go through hoops even though shes innoncent and they've already got half the paperwork.

Any sensible advice would be appricated

Hammyman

If she's got the supporting evidence, there's nothing to worry about.

mum2one

Hammyman wrote: »

If she's got the supporting evidence, there's nothing to worry about.

Thank you, she has me worrying on her behalf, guess Ipicked up the pieces last time, andthought better be prepared with the tissues. x

bestpud

Probably best just to gather the paperwork and get the process over with asap.

They do random checks so it may be that rather than a fraud investigation.

If she's done nothing wrong then it will work out either way.

ceecee1

This is not a fraud investigation - more than likely just a check.

If it was an investigation then they would obtain the information requested themselves.

I would say that she has nothing to worry about - they are just making sure that her benefit is correct, if she has worked different hours each week/month hers is not a straightforward claim and that might be why it has been picked up to be checked.

mum2one

Bestpud and ceecee1 - passed your message on (as they say). my friend says a massive thank you, shes slowly gathering all the info, shes knows shes kept everything by the book, but as I hadn't had "the letter" just worries her.

ceecee1 - her wages do vary some months she earnd zero, others £30, so I guess it will look odd.

Again thnak you both from me as well xx

Blackpool_Saver

it's all so flaming ambiguous, I am a carer and I asked them if 20 quid a week and 80 quid a month was the same and they said no, it would be classed as 80 quid the week you got it and would mess up all other attached benefits, so I didn't do it............

mum2one

Blackpool_Saver wrote: »

it's all so flaming ambiguous, I am a carer and I asked them if 20 quid a week and 80 quid a month was the same and they said no, it would be classed as 80 quid the week you got it and would mess up all other attached benefits, so I didn't do it............

Totally agree, its not worth tryng to help yourself back into work, theres enough people who are commiting benefit fraud by not declaring the income yet there the ones who get away with it..... x

Blackpool_Saver

mum2one wrote: »

Totally agree, its not worth tryng to help yourself back into work, theres enough people who are commiting benefit fraud by not declaring the income yet there the ones who get away with it..... x

yes, it infuriates me too x

kingfisherblue

I employ a friend to look after my disabled son once a week. I pay with his Direct Payments. My friend is on IS and is allowed to earn a maximum of £20 a week.

Once a year, I have to write to the JC to inform them that X is still working for me and receiving £20 a week. She receives a letter asking for this proof.

Also, I cannot pay her £80 for four weeks, I have to write a £20 cheque each week so that this shows on her bank statements, which she has to provide to the JC.

Incidentally, in case anybody is wondering, she is still paid above minimum wage despite only getting £20 a week

OP, tell your friend not to worry. It is standard procedure to check that the amount is still no more than £20 a week. The only problem that she might have is if her wages are paid monthly instead of weekly.

Robbie64

I can't understand why people are having problems with their local benefit office working out weekly income if wages are paid anything other than weekly.

For means tested benefits wages are taken into account for the period they cover. If it is weekly then the wage will be taken into account weekly, if it is 4 weeks, 4 weekly, monthly then the amount is multiplied by 12 and divided by 52. This is how it has always been done and applies not just to IS but also ESA, JSA, Housing and Council Tax Benefit. A letter from the employer to clarify the situation should help if the wage slip isn't clear or if there is no wage slip.

Unless there has been some major change in recent years that I'm not aware of.