Benefit Fraud Interview under caution Help!

mumof2boys77

Hi Everyone,

I wish I was posting something else under better circumstances.

I received a letter from jobcentre plus Fraud Investigation Service

- We need to interview you about your claim to carers allowance and income support.

- We have arranged this interview because we beleive there are grounds for suspecting that you may have commited a criminal offence in relation to a benefit claim because of your employment and a change to your circumstances.

This is what I beleive has happened......

In March 2008, I was on income support and carers allowance as my son receives high rate dla and I care for him.

I got offered a job and called the job centre to tell them I was told I was entitled to a back to work grant and gave them the details of my employer. I then phoned carers allowance told them that I was going to start work and that it wasn't going to be anymore than the capped amount of £95. Which it never was.

I worked for this company for 5 weeks only then got another job that was more convenient with the hours.

I updated carers allowance through the Government Gareway website that I am registered with, But can't remember if I followed a link or was directly on government gateway.

The info I gave them was my five payslip amounts and the amount I was paying in childcare which according to nhschoices website childcare deductions is allowed. I paid childcare at the rate of 3.50 p/h which put me under the £95 threshold. I did not live of my earning but the increase in working tax credit, I worked more for my sanity that earnings. I do not have a receipt for childcare but can get statements to prove this.

I am wondering if the website did not process this update. I never heard anything from them so assumed that all was a ok. This can be the only thing the letter is in relation to as I have never been employed and on carers allowance before. I am worried that the notes are not there for the phone update eaither. To be honest I am worried about everything because I do not know what this is about. I have no way to prove I did an update online... so basically I think I may be screwed . I did however declare my carers allowance as a social security taxable benefit on all my child tax/ working tax credit forms. Surely this should show I was not trying to hide anything?!

With regard to the income support the only thing that can be is that they think my bf lives with me which he doesn't. I am not so concerned about this as all his finacial statements and doctors etc are registered at his mums address. I also have my social worker to back this up.

I am more worried about the carers allowance ..... I do not want to go to this interview and admit I have done something wrong when I feel I haven't. I did declare it. Never hid it from HMRC so surely they have to be sympathetic to that.

Also I had a benefit review in Febuary and disclosed to my benefit adviser that my boyfriend sometimes stayed over but not enough to say he lives with me.

Does anyone have any idea of what I should say or do. Or proof that I should gather.

I have a big file already of everything I plan to take with me
Consists of.
Elec and sky bill in my name. All direct debits for the house coming of my bank. Bank statements to Nov09 as thats as far back as I can go.
Payslips for all jobs back to 2004
Avon tax return - yes \i even declared my Avon in 2007 and did a tax return on it,
Avon accounts,
benefit letters
tax credit awards that clearly show I declared social security benefit
the name of the benefit advisor and the date I disclosed my bf as staying over sometimes.
The name and address of my social worker
Signed statements from my babysitters to confirm I did indeed pay them chilcare.
I have all my car details to show that my car packed up and I borrowed my bf's til I got another one.
Solicitors letter to confirm I am seeking a divorce incase that crops up.
Thats everything I am trying to cover all basis as I do not know what it is exactly.

I am not a benefit cheat so please help me.

Thanks in advance
xx

Fran

Hi,

I suggest you take all your information to Citizens Advice and they can check it all for you to see how this happened and work out for you what the correct amounts should be.

Regarding updating online, perhaps you could check with them that they haven't had any problems with their website as some of these organisations have done in the past.

mumof2boys77

Thanks Fran,

I am now googling to see if there was a glitch but I am not having much success.

There was a merger between pensions and something else around that time I think I am not sure I will need to look into it further.

I did not get much notice and my Interview is on Tuesday I will call advice on onday and see what they say.

If anyone can find any computer or website problems with Carers allowance site for may 2008 would be much appreciated.
x

KeaneFan10

Hun i have to say sadly i have been interviewed under caution and its a terrible experience my advice to anyone is tell the truth and everything they want to know, i had a boyfriend stay over and i simply was not going to move him in permanent until i was sure he could cope with my children as one is disabled i was taken to court and it went on for over 18 months. I should never have done what i did it made me really ill its all sorted now so from someone who knows tell them everything i do not think it was something to do with 2008 as you say as this would have been dealt with that year i presume its about your boyfriend ...good luck

annies_mum

KeaneFan10 wrote: »

Hun i have to say sadly i have been interviewed under caution and its a terrible experience my advice to anyone is tell the truth and everything they want to know, i had a boyfriend stay over and i simply was not going to move him in permanent until i was sure he could cope with my children as one is disabled i was taken to court and it went on for over 18 months. I should never have done what i did it made me really ill its all sorted now so from someone who knows tell them everything i do not think it was something to do with 2008 as you say as this would have been dealt with that year i presume its about your boyfriend ...good luck

i was under the impression that the repayment of overpayment of benefit could go back a few years not just the year concerned, i may well be wrong though. the only thing i can't understand, if the investigation was to do with her B/F what would this have to do with Carers allowance?

annies_mum

just re read the op again i can see now. that they are investigating 2 cases of suspected fraud not one. I don't know about the B/F part of it but surely they would have made a note that they were told about him at the benefit review.
Secondly in the worst case if the website did not update the op's details surely the fact that she has evidence to show that her childcare costs took her below the 95.00 earnings limit would be enough. I really can't see how fraud has being committed and once she explains what happened surely they will see it too.
Or am i missing something?
I really wish you alll the luck in the world, i have a disabled son too, life is bad enough without all this worry for you. Hang on in there and i know its easy to say but try not to worry to much x x

Indie_Kid

annies_mum wrote: »

i was under the impression that the repayment of overpayment of benefit could go back a few years not just the year concerned, i may well be wrong though. the only thing i can't understand, if the investigation was to do with her B/F what would this have to do with Carers allowance?

I think keanefan has mentioned in other threads about being on IS - hence the IUC.

kingfisherblue

OP, I have been interviewed under caution before - once because I do voluntary work (I run a Brownie unit) - which I had declared and my Division Commissioner had written to the Job Centre to state that I do not receive any payment for this, and once because somebody reported me to the Benefit Fraud Line. On this second occasion, it was stated that i was defrauding the Direct Payments system, by 'creaming off' some of the money into my own bank account. I receive DP to pay for somebody to look after my disabled son for a couple of hours a week, and it is audited by the local council, who provide the money for DP, every three months.

TBH, neither occasion was as bad as I expected. I am one of life's worriers, but I knew that I had done nothing wrong. It didn't stop me from worrying myself sick though. Each time, I was interviewed, but given sufficient chance to explain the details. I can't remember how long the interviews lasted, but the second one was longer and was still less than an hour. I didn't take any evidence with me, as I didn't have a clue what either IUC was about.

In both cases, the Job Centre acknowledged that I had done nothing wrong. I was completely exonerated of any fraud.

You have also done nothing wrong. Take in anything that you think will help. Try to have it in some sort of timeline order (maybe written on a separate sheet).

Good look and take care x

mumof2boys77

Hi All,

Thanks for the kind replies.
I rearranged my appointment as I couldn't make the first one and the second letter came from them with only carers allowance on so I am wondering if the income support thing is just not that serious and they just want to check something.

I volunteer at my sons school 1hour in the afternoon but havent declared this. To be honest i feel like finding a job asap as I hate being on benefit its just hard juggling 2 children with special needs and a job and the house with out stretching my self too thinly.

I am certain it has to do with 2008 as I haven't worked since leaving that job.

I really do hope they take on board what has happened and don't pressume me to be guilty before they have met me. I also thought if income support was to do with my b/f wouldnt they have done a home check or something. That woukld have been better as then I could prove straight away he doesnt live with me. There is nothing here of his.

I hate being on benefit I feel like a criminal.
xx

Blackpool_Saver

mumof2boys77 wrote: »

Hi All,

Thanks for the kind replies.
I rearranged my appointment as I couldn't make the first one and the second letter came from them with only carers allowance on so I am wondering if the income support thing is just not that serious and they just want to check something.

I volunteer at my sons school 1hour in the afternoon but havent declared this. To be honest i feel like finding a job asap as I hate being on benefit its just hard juggling 2 children with special needs and a job and the house with out stretching my self too thinly.

I am certain it has to do with 2008 as I haven't worked since leaving that job.


I really do hope they take on board what has happened and don't pressume me to be guilty before they have met me. I also thought if income support was to do with my b/f wouldnt they have done a home check or something. That woukld have been better as then I could prove straight away he doesnt live with me. There is nothing here of his.

I hate being on benefit I feel like a criminal.
xx

I'll bet it will be something to do with that.
Are you aware that you need to change your car insurance from SDP to travelling to work if you drive to a voluntary position, and to carrying passengers if you EVER carry a person in connection with voluntary work........