unfairly being interviewed for benefit fraud

luceno1

only found this out today that the people making these allegations of benefit fraud get paid!!! £50!!

have the goverment gone mad???

no wonder all the staff at the dwp had steam pouring out of there ears, the amount of people sitting in the waiting rooms,

we know that benefit fraud is disgusting and wrong but can anyone else seriously see any one of these "good do-ers" donate this £50 to charity or putting it back into the system??......no me niether! its the price of a new computer game or dress.
surely that could also be classed as stealing from the public purse?
and leading the ccso on expensive wild goose chases

obviously the vast majority will have this countries " greater good" at heart, and also save our economy a lot of money as well if the investigations prove the claimants to be guilty...

but come on, what about the type of people out there that just fancy a night out or something and happen to know of someone who recieves some kind of benefit, what deters them from making that phonecall? think about it, they are completley protected, their name isnt mentioned, and they get a cheque in the post. simple!

they dont think for one second about the other person, about what stress they put them through ( i am talking about the falsley accused here) the paranoia etc.

SuziQ

The problem is that there are plenty of people who are dishonestly claiming, and how is someone to know whether things are legitimate or not? I am all in favour of benefit thieves being weeded out.

I've not heard about a £50 payment, but regardless of that, if someone is just messing about and there is nothing suspicious at all I doubt the accused would even know about it. If there is something for the department to follow up then the accused must see this as just part of the system we have in this country where we are lucky enough to receive monetary help. I say this as someone currently on benefit who had several compliance interviews when I first claimed and I was never told why. I had nothing to hide so didn't get stressed.

Elvisia

My comment about don't fill in silences came from working with a very difficult boss who liked people in her team to take the blame for things, whether they had done them or not. We discovered that when she talked to us alone she'd be silent for quite long periods of time, just looking at you, and we'd get nervous and keep on talking, and then get in a hole because we'd end up suggesting we'd done something we hadn't, or we'd waffle and our point would get lost. I didn't write this as a guide for people who are committing fraud, but to those who, like me, have the ability to panic and talk rubbish and find we've been pulled up on something that was interpreted the wrong way. It's very easy when you're nervous to make a joke that backfires. These compliance meetings aren't a nice chat over tea and biscuits, they even admit in their own guidelines they want to catch people off guard, so it's best to think carefully about your answers, and keep them succinct. I would give the same advice to people in job interviews.

laurel7172

There are, unfortunately, a great number of malicious people who just make things up, and you can't take it personally or worry about it. Sometimes they know they're making it up, sometimes they're so blinded by spite or prejudice that they see what they want to see.

I found out last year that my...umm...unpleasant...neighbour thinks I'm on benefit. Because I'm a single parent, so I must be, I suppose. You'd think she would have noticed me passing her kitchen window dressed for work at least one morning out of the last decade...but stupidity isn't amenable to facts. I wonder how many times she's reported me for benefit fraud...:D

mealone

luceno1 wrote: »

hi, interview over, totally different experience than the last time, different person which was a bonus.
She basically said that they had had an annonomous tip off from someone stating that im still in a relationship with my childrens father. havnt got a clue who could of done it. Ive never made an enemy of anyone in my life, im guessing that this person has just got the wrong end of the stick.

Anyway signed another statement, and she said that if no other evidence comes to light of the allegation within the next 4 weeks the case would be closed. At least now i know what its all been about, and nothing about the old phone line was mentioned, she said there was nothing in the notes and stuff relating to it. so that should be it... (hopefully)
thanks for all the advice!

From your posts you have never had a proper relationship with the father of your children, so you cant be accused of having one now!

Having one child is a hope for the future even when he leaves you , another child is hope over reason when he abandoned you once and more fool you!!!

luceno1

mealone wrote: »

From your posts you have never had a proper relationship with the father of your children, so you cant be accused of having one now!

Having one child is a hope for the future even when he leaves you , another child is hope over reason when he abandoned you once and more fool you!!!

bit personal?

Parva

luceno1 wrote: »

bit personal?

only found this out today that the people making these allegations of benefit fraud get paid!!! £50!!

I doubt that such a 'bonus' exists

/me goes and watches his apartment! Watch out, big brother is out there!!!!

raven83

mealone wrote: »

From your posts you have never had a proper relationship with the father of your children, so you cant be accused of having one now!

Having one child is a hope for the future even when he leaves you , another child is hope over reason when he abandoned you once and more fool you!!!

Thats BANG out of ORDER!!!!! Who made you judge and besides life isnt black and white unless you of course you are living the "dream"!!!

luceno1

Parva wrote: »

I doubt that such a 'bonus' exists

/me goes and watches his apartment! Watch out, big brother is out there!!!!

ok are you willing to test your theory? say there is someone you know that is recieving some knid of benefit. would u willingly report them for benefit fraud knowing that they were innocent? thinking that because they were innocent nothing including investigation or interview would come of it?

99% of the population would probably say no, because like me, when it comes to your life, they can't 100% rely on the justice system.

p.s. the dwp told me today that regardless of the people being proved innocent or guilty, the accuser still recieves £50. horses mouth

GrungeMeister

luceno1 wrote: »

p.s. the dwp told me today that regardless of the people being proved innocent or guilty, the accuser still recieves £50. horses mouth

Would you mind saying which Job Centre or Benefit Centre told you that ?

I'm going to call them to check out what you say.

If you wouldn't mind.