What do the Customer Compliance Team do?

Hannah_10

I have a letter from the Customer Compliance Team at the DWP giving me an interview time and date about 10 days from now at the nearest JobCentre Plus.

I have searched this forum and they seem to be the anti-fraud team, there have been a couple of specific points of investigation mentioned but they don't seem immediately obvious reasons to investigate me.

So I'm wondering what are the possible reasons they might want to see me?

The ones that I have already read about are:
- Partner living with you while declared single.
- Working while declared incapable.
- Not as sick as you say you are.

Like I said they don't seem that likely in my case as my case is long running and very well documented, so are there any other possibles we can think of?

It's worrying me to be perfectly honest and so I'm hoping someone will mention a reason and the penny will drop and I'll think "ahhhh I get it now".

Also, if they are calling you in for an interview how do you know if it's going to be formal or informal? Are the letters worded differently or anything? What I don't want is to turn up alone thinking they want a simple chat and find they've got sheets of curve-ball questions and a tape recorder... If that's what's going to happen I need to know in advance so I can arrange to take a third party, eg. a legal advisor of some sort.

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

In my case it was because someone (my ex) had falsely reported me for benefit fraud saying my new boyfriend had moved in with me.

They have a responsibility to check the reports out but if you haven't done anything wrong then please don't worry.

I was cleared of any wrong doing in my interview.

Robbie64

Customer Compliance deal with claims where there may be a possibility of something about the claim being incorrect or where there is a need to check out a certain aspect of the claim or the case has been pulled out for random benefit review.

For random benefit reviews (and they really are random, anyone can be picked) you can be interviewed either at home or at the local benefit office. The interview is to check that your claim is how it should be. People not chosen for random benefit reviews in this way have their claim reviewed through the post instead.

For some claims there may be an element of fraud or suspicion. An anonymous phone call or letter or something about the claim that just doesn't seem right. Possible fraud is usually investigated by the Fraud team but for cases that the fraud team do not have time to investigate (usually potentially low level fraud cases or where there is a lack of actual direct evidence) the case is passed to the compliance team to be looked at and to interview the claimant.

Robbie64

Incidentally, most compliance interviews are just routine benefit reviews so try not to worry.

Mr_Falling_Star

It could be a identity or document check? Or another possibility is working while claiming JSA? Or having savings over the threshold?

I wouldn't worry to much, if you are doing nothing wrong you should be OK

Hannah_10

Thanks Robbie, that was a good informative answer, between the replies that would appear to be the first half of the question illuminated somewhat.

Now for the latter part- what is the interview actually like? Anyone care to elaborate?