DWP - it could be you

olemuso

Hello I`m new here, be gentle

I intend this as a heads-up as I believe this may well become commonplace.

A couple of months ago I got a phone call from DWP saying they couldn`t continue with my claim as they didin`t have a start date for my new address.

First, I assumed they meant my forthcoming change from Pension Credit to State Pension.

Second - I haven`t moved. Nor did I have any intention of doing so. I tried to explain this and the conversation became heated so I hung up.

I phoned them the next day and was told that I had "moved abroad" - I don`t even have a passport!!:rotfl:

I received mail saying my Pension Credit was forfeit, then mail from the council saying my Council Tax Benefit was stopped. All this took quite a bit of sorting out but we got there in the end.

Along the way I was told there had been a "computer glitch"; "you`re not on your own"; "there`s hundreds like you" etc..

Anyway all`s well that ends well - or is it?

I got my State Pension but they told me I was going to get an increase in Pension Credit which I know is not the case, it should stop. I wrote and told them it was an error and followed up with a phone call - they paid me! They paid me again last week! I`ve told them they can`t have it back.

So that`s where the story should end, except . . . . the other night my daughter phoned me to say her Child Benefit had been stopped because she has "moved to Australia" .. . oh dear, this sounds familiar.

What on Earth is the DWP up to? Has anyone else experienced this?

bobajob_1966

Have you asked them to look into the possibility that someone is using your details fraudulently, or claiming to be you in order to make changes to your claims? It would be a great coincidence for such a similar error to happen to two people in the same family. Admin errors do happen, but in the big scheme of things they are pretty rare.

olemuso

I was told eventually that it was the HMRC computer that messed up my address causing the DWP system to assume I had changed address. I did express concern about identity theft but was told this was definitely not the cause.

Regarding my daughter`s case, she has a different surname and lives in a different town but I see what you mean. If anything else like this happens within the family I think I`ll go to the Police in case there`s some fraud going on.

Thanks

bengal-stripe

It rather sounds like a malicious caller.

Do you have a "friend" or neighbour who wants to harm you and your family? Someone who knows your date of birth and NI number,
so s/he can pass DWP security?

Lou76

I had a situation last year where I was receiving someones [private details] via the post because, somehow, their address had been changed to mine.

At the time I was concerned about myself as I was, legitimately, claiming as a single pesron.

At first I kept phoning IS, and was met with assurances that it would be sorted. However, the final straw was when I received their DLA claim in the post. :eek: Seems they hadn't signed it, and it was returned for a signature.

Being single, and given the gap from my last "rogue" post, I just opened my post. I don't feel the need to scrutinise the name of the [intended] recipient.

When the DLA form came in though, I did some sluething online - thankfully, unlike me, they had an unusual surname. :rotfl:

I phoned them & told them what was happening, the first they'd heard of it seeing as any letters were being sent via me. I did feel really dodgy though phoning.

It's possible something similiar has happend?

You need to speak to them & ask where they've got their information from. Contact them all, if relevant.