Benefit Fraud interview with caution..help!

sjc3

Hi Amanda,

I have read through this thread and wanted to say I hope things will be okay for you on monday. I readily admit that I have no experience or knowledge in this area or what you are facing right now. Didn't want to read and run without helping a bit if I could though.

I put this in google "interview under caution". Then went to the "advice now" link, second link down. It brings up a detailed answer to the questions you seem to need answered. Both about handling the interview, what to expect and what may happen afterwards. I dont know how accurate it is but it could be worth a read through.

Oldernotwiser

FBaby wrote: »

OP, good luck on Monday but I'm sure everything will be ok. I am dismayed by the accusatory tone of some messages here. I think there are some people who spend some much time on the forum that they forget that a large number of people don't and therefore don't have their knowledge of the system, especially those who have worked all their lives. I am an intelligent and well aware person, but there were things I knew nothing about before being 'educated' on this forum that made me realise that without that knowledge, I could have done things that were illegal without having a clue.

Don't beayt yourself up. You made a mistake of believing that all you needed to do was tell the job centre that you were working some hours and trusted the rest was up to them to process. You are now finding out that the onus is on you to follow all the rules properly and make sure you do what you are supposed to (ie. telling them every fortnight how many hours your worked that week) and that the consequences are on you. I think you will have no problem showing to them that you have made a genuine mistake with no intention to defraud. The worse that can happen in that case? You have to pay the money back, which as you seem to a genuinely honest person you will respect is fair to pay back.

I know that you meant this post kindly but I think that you are being over optimistic.

To suggest that it'll be enough just to say "Oops, I didn't know I had to tell you when I'd done any work and yes, I thought I could work regularly and still claim full JSA" is incredibly naive, although, as there seems to be comparatively small amounts involved, hopefully the OP won't face a prosecution.

Amanda_Adams

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I know that you meant this post kindly but I think that you are being over optimistic.

To suggest that it'll be enough just to say "Oops, I didn't know I had to tell you when I'd done any work and yes, I thought I could work regularly and still claim full JSA" is incredibly naive, although, as there seems to be comparatively small amounts involved, hopefully the OP won't face a prosecution.

If you'd read the posts you would realise that I had told them I was working. My work was not regular either, which I also told them. I was maybe naive in believing that was all I had to do. .

I'm not referring to your comments, but things on this post seem to be getting a little nasty and heated. Much of which appears to be bickering.

I would like to thank everyone for their advice, and my next post will be after monday to let you know what the outcome was.

Thank you once again.
A

Oldernotwiser

Amanda_Adams wrote: »

If you'd read the posts you would realise that I had told them I was working. My work was not regular either, which I also told them. I was maybe naive in believing that was all I had to do. .

A

I have read your posts thoroughly and you still seem to think that telling them at the start of the period was all that was required, at the same time as signing to say that you had done no work!

I genuinely hope that they won't be too hard on you.

Marisco

TBH, I would probably have done the same as Amanda!!!!:o She is a lady in her late 50's, had no experience of the ins and outs of a jobcentre/benefit claiming, thought she was doing the right thing by declaring, at the beginning, that she would be doing a couple of hours work a week. And probably thinking, like I would, that it would be on record and that as it's so little it doesn't count. Not everyone knows their way round the benefit system!!!

FBaby

When you think that some have the system totally sussed out and as such are able to get benefit money by playing the system and getting away with it, it would really angry me if the OP got prosecuted. I am thinking of my ex and her partner. They lived separately for years so she could claim IS as a single mum. He paid a bedsit £20 a week just so that he could justify to have his own home but contributed to all her bills. They just knew not to transfer money into her account, not to go shopping together, and to make sure his clothes stayed in a box under the bed. Even if reported as living together, it could not have been proven. Strangely how they decided to move together when he lost his job and her youngest turned 7...

It is obvious the ommission to declare her limited work wasn't a genuine attempt to get benefits she wasn't entitled to and the interview should clear this up, especially if the OP makes the suggestion herself that she will happy to repay the overpayment before waiting for them to bring it up.

melbi_uk

FBaby wrote: »

When you think that some have the system totally sussed out and as such are able to get benefit money by playing the system and getting away with it, it would really angry me if the OP got prosecuted. I am thinking of my ex and her partner. They lived separately for years so she could claim IS as a single mum. He paid a bedsit £20 a week just so that he could justify to have his own home but contributed to all her bills. They just knew not to transfer money into her account, not to go shopping together, and to make sure his clothes stayed in a box under the bed. Even if reported as living together, it could not have been proven. Strangely how they decided to move together when he lost his job and her youngest turned 7...

It is obvious the ommission to declare her limited work wasn't a genuine attempt to get benefits she wasn't entitled to and the interview should clear this up, especially if the OP makes the suggestion herself that she will happy to repay the overpayment before waiting for them to bring it up.

These are my thoughts too and I really do wish Amanda lots of luck for Monday

melbi_uk

sjc3 wrote: »

Hi Amanda,

I have read through this thread and wanted to say I hope things will be okay for you on monday. I readily admit that I have no experience or knowledge in this area or what you are facing right now. Didn't want to read and run without helping a bit if I could though.

I put this in google "interview under caution". Then went to the "advice now" link, second link down. It brings up a detailed answer to the questions you seem to need answered. Both about handling the interview, what to expect and what may happen afterwards. I dont know how accurate it is but it could be worth a read through.

That site gives a lot of useful information which I hope helps the OP to be prepared for Monday.

melbi_uk

Amanda_Adams wrote: »

If you'd read the posts you would realise that I had told them I was working. My work was not regular either, which I also told them. I was maybe naive in believing that was all I had to do. .

I'm not referring to your comments, but things on this post seem to be getting a little nasty and heated. Much of which appears to be bickering.

I would like to thank everyone for their advice, and my next post will be after monday to let you know what the outcome was.

Thank you once again.
A

A simple misunderstanding.

You will get used to the nastiness and bickering Amanda, just ignore them. :T

WhiteHorse

Amanda_Adams wrote: »

If you'd read the posts you would realise that I had told them I was working. My work was not regular either, which I also told them. I was maybe naive in believing that was all I had to do.

Sadly, true. Never deal with the DWP over the telephone. Always in writing if you can.

I have known DWP staff lie without hesitation. Destroying documents is not unknown and altering notes is commonplace.