False allegations of Benefit fraud

truckerboy66

kaya wrote: »

for somebody with nothing to worry about your coming across a very worried

Hi there, wasn't sure if your message in reply to my post. If it was just want to say that I am worried. My girlfriend and her children are suffering because of my ex wife, who doesn't even know my girlfriend. She has had her money suspended and her housing benefit and council tax suspended in the process. My girlfriend's only crime is knowing me. This has happened twice now and will keep on happeneing with the same results. It will be proven false as it was before, but the benefit agency have to follow procedures. My ex wife is abusing the system for her own benefit and that is to get at me. The law has to change where these people are made accountable for these actions so that the benefit agency can concentrate on the genuine cases.

missbunbury

OP, I'm not sure why you are so stressed out abut this? It's your mum's claim not yours, and all she has to do is respond to the enquiry. It seems to me as if you are jumping to the conclusion that this is someone being malicious, and yet you say yourself that your sister has been at your mum's a lot more than usual, so it's probable that someone has seen her coming and going (and moving furniture by the sounds of it) and decided to make the report just in case. Your mum can respond with the facts and presumably all will be well. If your mum has mental health problems, I would try to avoid suggesting to her that someone has a vendetta against her if I were you as that can only make it harder for her to get well. Think of it this way - if there really was a busybody spying on your mum constantly, they'd have seen for themselves that your sister always goes home eventually of an evening and they wouldn't have made the report in the first place.

ryouga

truckerboy66 wrote: »

in my case the benefit was stopped pending investigations, this has happened twice now, and the money was not back dated on the first occasion, they can't stop the child benefit, but they also suspended her housing benefit and council tax benefit too.

I dont think its the same thing but I have just had my JSA and LHA stopped as they think I am a full time student.

So they have stopped it before speaking to me despite me having no other income so once my food runs out in cupboard(a couple of pot noodles, some biscuits, a packet of savory rice and some frozen chips and veg) I wont have anything if it takes longer than Tuesday to sort out.

Must be some vicious changes recently! I heard that due to cutbacks they are being far more strict on trying to find benefit cheats so thats probably why.

Morglin

anewman wrote: »

I was wondering if there was any way to deal with being subjected to false allegations of benefit fraud?

My mum recently had a major operation and has been told not to walk around or stand for long for a few months, so my sister has been around more often - although not stayed overnight. Some busy body neighbour has told, presumably the benefit fraud website, that she is living there. I have an extremely good idea who it is :mad: My sister has just bought a new house and sold her old one, so is obviously not living there. So the people complaining are obviously doing so just to cause hassle and aggravation.

Yet the DWP seem to have taken this seriously and sent out a letter and nice long form assuming this is correct. The form asks how long she has been living there and all the things she has been doing since school etc. This seems like presumed guilt and I think it is disgusting that anyone can make an anonymous complaint and cause so much hassle.

The DWP do make note of any 'false allegation', and tend to ignore future reports, about that particular claimant, once they have established that the report is false/malicious.

Fill out the forms, and that should be the end of it.

Lin

mart9012

I've had problems with the compliance team, or rather, my girlfriend has. As far as I'm aware the issue of cohabiting is very complex but as the original issue is between family members I can only assume that at the interview you should only need to provide proof that you live somewhere else and that it isn't rented out etc. My girlfriend was interviewed for an allegation of living as civil partners with me. It was a similar situation as she has mental health issues and for a time required me to be there frequently to look after her. The compliance team interviewed her and despite her not coping with the interview they didn't explain anything to her and she just wanted to sign the form and get out of the room. Her benefits have been stopped now for 5 months. She lives on Salavation Army food parcels, help from her family, loans from friends and every contract bill has now gone to bailiffs and cancellations. It is a nightmare for her and for us both as clearly I need to help her financially but I'm on benefits too. The DWP view of cohabiting is very strange and requires no-one to actually live with anyone. It's simply about being seen as a couple whether you share accomodation or not!

CouponWoman

mart9012 wrote: »

I've had problems with the compliance team, or rather, my girlfriend has. As far as I'm aware the issue of cohabiting is very complex but as the original issue is between family members I can only assume that at the interview you should only need to provide proof that you live somewhere else and that it isn't rented out etc. My girlfriend was interviewed for an allegation of living as civil partners with me. It was a similar situation as she has mental health issues and for a time required me to be there frequently to look after her. The compliance team interviewed her and despite her not coping with the interview they didn't explain anything to her and she just wanted to sign the form and get out of the room. Her benefits have been stopped now for 5 months. She lives on Salavation Army food parcels, help from her family, loans from friends and every contract bill has now gone to bailiffs and cancellations. It is a nightmare for her and for us both as clearly I need to help her financially but I'm on benefits too. The DWP view of cohabiting is very strange and requires no-one to actually live with anyone. It's simply about being seen as a couple whether you share accomodation or not!

The co-habiting rule is rather strange true. You do not have to live with your partner full time. Simply staying overnight every now and then, is not the only descriptor. The DWP would ask if you spend the majority of your time together, do you have meals together, do you shop together, do you do laundry together, do you have clothes at your partners house and vice versa, do you have shaving items at your girlfriends house.

I would advise you and your girlfriend to see a welfare benefits adviser asap and see if her benefit could be re-instated. To ensure less problems in the future back off a little if possible from her home and see her at your home or a friends or relatives house. Don't leave your personal possessions at her house (or hers at yours). Do not shop together ie share food all the time. Whatever you do, do not leave your washing on her line, this is a dead giveaway.

Good luck.

eddor

dseventy wrote: »

Don't like the amount of scrutiny and rules? Then don't claim. Or certainly don't clame then moan about the rules!

I actually signed up to respond to this post.

As someone who is disabled and unable to work, relies on disability support to live, and is currently facing false benefit fraud allegations, your post shows so much ignorance that you should be ashamed of yourself.

That is all.

Edit: it is worth noting that such behaviour (false accusations with intent of disruption) is harrassment. I have also been informed that the DWP is not exempt from the law, and will comply with the police. I am now finding out if my allegations were made anonymously or not. If not, I shall be contacting the police and filing a harrassment charge. The police can then prosecute on my behalf.
That's the theory, anyway. Will update.

anewman

I know it's ages since the original post but...

dseventy wrote: »

The hoops are already on fire before you decide to jump through them.

Don't like the amount of scrutiny and rules? Then don't claim. Or certainly don't clame then moan about the rules!

Next you'll claim it's acceptable for someone to frame someone for gross misconduct at work, because the framed person knew the rules of such gross misconduct and that they would be sacked.

kaya wrote: »

for somebody with nothing to worry about your coming across a very worried

And if this was directed at me as the OP, then no I'm not worried, I just would love to give the people doing it and attacking a vulnerable woman with mental health issues a double taste of their own medicine.

missbunbury wrote: »

OP, I'm not sure why you are so stressed out abut this? It's your mum's claim not yours, and all she has to do is respond to the enquiry.

Ah ok, won't care about my mum - just let her rot in a house.

missbunbury wrote: »

It seems to me as if you are jumping to the conclusion that this is someone being malicious

I know about the type of people in the area and their previous behaviour.

missbunbury wrote: »

decided to make the report just in case.

Ok, I'll report everyone myself - just in case of course. Because that's a totally acceptable reason to claim that someone is defrauding the system and committing a criminal act.

missbunbury wrote: »

Your mum can respond with the facts and presumably all will be well. If your mum has mental health problems, I would try to avoid suggesting to her that someone has a vendetta against her if I were you as that can only make it harder for her to get well. Think of it this way - if there really was a busybody spying on your mum constantly, they'd have seen for themselves that your sister always goes home eventually of an evening and they wouldn't have made the report in the first place.

ISTR the form was directed at my sister in any case. Peculiar they would send a form to someone who does not live there. As I pointed out previously in the thread, knowing the people I strongly suspect they *did* know that she went home at night. The knowingly false malicious report was no doubt made with the hope that people investigating the claim would knock on the door to find her there - and well of course all benefit fraudsters say I'm not living here etc.

I'm not suggesting someone has a vendetta against her at all, just that other people are stupid and have nothing better to do with their time. I'm glad that clearly you do not have to deal with neighbours like those - it's far nicer where I live now.

In any case, I believe my sister did not fill in the form and just told them she did not live there and all was good.

princessdon

I guess it's scary but taking the personal things aside (easier said than done when you and your family are the ones involved) they have to invstigate.

It's the same everywhere, if Social Services didn't investigate or businesses we'd be in a pickle. Truly horrid for those who are going through it but we can't be in a society where they pick and chose which complaints they take forward. So I guess the only fair thing to do is investigate.

It happens in work too - if someone complains you can be suspended whilst they investigate.

there will always be vindictive people in the world - but you can't expect DWP or any agency to not investigate a complaint and as I say you just have to take the personal side out of it. Objectively someone moaned, they asked, you answered job done.

Mother_hen_3

Hello
I was on benefits for a couple of yrs after my husband left me. I was asked to go to an interview and wrote a letter stating that my children and I had left the country, which we had done. We are thinking of returning to the uk and would like to know where I stand.
My husband and I are still separated, I am now working abroad but my children will now be living with their dad, hopefully in the uk and I plan on visiting them on a regular basis.
Is there going to be something against my name? Against my NI number? What happens with regards to me not going to the above said interview etc........
Any advice on what and where to go would be great