JSA and Customer compliance visit.

shineray

Hi, This is my first visit to this excellent forum.
I have just received a letter of notification of a visit from a Customer Compliance Officer to "Review my claim to Benefit"
I have claimed income based JSA, since last Autumn. I am due to start work a week after the interview, and have notified my Jobseeker advisor of my succes in finding a job about a month ago, and its start date.

Should I tell the Compliance officer that I'm going start work, and perhaps the interview is not needed, or will that just be suspicious in their eyes that I have something to hide?
Also does the officer consult with the JSA advisor and would they know my job start is soon?

I'm really worried, I've prepaired all my documents for the interview, I don't have more than £3000 in bank accounts.

Should I ask if they know about my job, or just wait and see them at the visit?

I do not have any children or a partner living with me. What could they possibly want to know that I don't tell my JSA advisor every fortnight?

Are any of these requests for a visit genuinely random selections of claimants or are they a result of a report.


Many Thanks.

Morglin

It could be that the DWP have been "informed" that you are working on the side or that your circumstances are different to those you gave.

This happens a lot with malicious "reporters", so just have your paperwork handy and tell them the truth.

Lin

shineray

Well I don't work on the side, so thats not it, are any of these visits genuine random checks or not.

Morglin

I can't see why they would do a random visit if you have notified them that you are starting work - although random visits do occur for Housing Benefit claims, and for long term benefits (such as Incapacity Benefit).

Anybody could have phoned the anonymous phoneline and said anything about you, so as long as you have all the paperwork etc., they will see that it's a malicious report.

Lin

shineray

Why should it be a malicious report thats triggered the visit, when i've read about it they say that lots of visits are random, but somehow I don't think they are that well funded and staffed to do random visits, they will have enogh to do to check anonymous reports.

Can anyone shed some light on the issue as to whether random visits are actually carried out.

I'm not claiming any disability benefits only JSA since last Autumn, I gonna start work the week after the visit but I'm sure the compliance officer does not know this as I expect they don't check whats on record with my JSA advisor.

It looks as though I'm acting suspiciously by stopping my claim for JSA after the visit, but my success in finding a Job is on record at the Jobcentre about a month ago.

peter999

shineray wrote:

Why should it be a malicious report thats triggered the visit, when i've read about it they say that lots of visits are random, but somehow I don't think they are that well funded and staffed to do random visits, they will have enogh to do to check anonymous reports.

Can anyone shed some light on the issue as to whether random visits are actually carried out.

I'm not claiming any disability benefits only JSA since last Autumn, I gonna start work the week after the visit but I'm sure the compliance officer does not know this as I expect they don't check whats on record with my JSA advisor.

It looks as though I'm acting suspiciously by stopping my claim for JSA after the visit, but my success in finding a Job is on record at the Jobcentre about a month ago.

You seem to be worrying too much.
It's a coincidence that visit is happening just when you found work & are signing off.

This visit may be similiar to HB Review visits which are quick & they just check the documents (number of threads in forum regarding HB visits).

I doubt if anyone can easily tell you what has triggered this visit.
It could be random review visit, could be triggered by an event/other information, could be malicious report.

The person who visits may not even know.

Benefit system procedures keep rollin', come what may.

peter999

Tigger36

Most people get a random visit - they are selected, literally at random and are nothing to worry about. I would ring your local Jobcentre and advise them that you have a visit coming up and that you are starting work. They will probably cancel it for you as it is a waste of the Visiting Officer's time.
By the way, Jobcentres are no longer responsible for benefit payments - they are processed centrally - I very much doubt that they have talked to each other, so no, the Visiting Officer probably has no idea that you're about to start work.

shineray

I'm tempted to tell them I'm going to start work but I think they have so many doing this when a visit is planned that they will be very suspicious of me, I can prove My new job was before the visit request.

But if the Visit is becuase they think they have something on me, albeit untrue, the fact I try to dodge the interview is going to look suspicious, and add to the credence of whatever it is, so could it be a random, anyone had a truely random visit.

peter999

shineray wrote:

I have just received a letter of notification of a visit from a Customer Compliance Officer to "Review my claim to Benefit"

Have they said what you should have ready ??

I assume they have said what you you should have ready, so you're not hunting around for documents/scraps of paper.

peter999

shineray

....yes the "review your claim" statement.

and at the bottom, proof of ID such as passport drvers liceince, utilty bills, bank statements.

Tigger36

I used to work for Jobcentre Plus and, believe me, the Visiting Officers are just given lists of clients to go and check on. Nothing malicious. If they suspect you of fraud they have to do a taped interview for evidence and 9 times out of 10 you get hauled into their offices for that. Don't worry - it's standard practice. I'd put money on everything being ok and that says a lot!