Being done for Benefit Fraud!!!

paulcornwall

Received a card in the post today saying theres a letter waiting at the sorting office with no postage paid, thought I better go and check its not important so popped in to pick it up (after paying the £1.36 fee) anyhow its a good job I did. To my surprise they've had reason to conduct an investigation into my claim for benefit, its alledged between Sept 2009 and December 2010 I failed to report I was in receipt of student grants and loans. Now I have to attend a interview under caution - I am bricking it.
I'm a full time carer for my disabled mum and decided to start a college course to give myself a break and better myself, I was offered loans and grants which I took, as I had to pay the loans back it did'nt cross my mind about informing the council. College was going well and I managed to secured a place at Uni, I was over the moon, again I used the loans and grants. The Uni was a good 2 hours away from home so we moved closer, so i could attend Uni and still care for mum. This moved obviously cost and so did the travel. In October Mums caring needs increased so we had to move back "home", I finished Uni and moved in with my mother. I have 2 young children and a partner. I suffer from depression and Generalised anxiety disorder so this is really killing me. I am scare I will go to prison, I have never done anything criminally wrong in my life so this is a big shock. Late last year I had to go bankrupt so things are going from bad to worse. Should I get a solicitor? What should i expect as a result of this? I'm not a bad person and do my best to help my family, I had no intention of causig benefit fraud, help!

Morlock

It is unlikely that you will go to prison, or even be prosecuted. It is very likely that you will have to pay back all of the benefits that you fraudulently claimed.

HappyMJ

and make sure you claim the £1.36 back from them. Tell them that's their first instalment. You will not go to prison. It's not benefit fraud as such it's just an error on your part.

Mara69

HappyMJ wrote: »

it's just an error on your part.

Quite the error right there. Sounds like the OP was claiming fraudulently for at least three years - and I am sure the forms you have to complete in order to claim benefits ask about loans and grants.

OP, what exactly were you claiming?

Morlock

Mara69 wrote: »

Sounds like the OP was claiming fraudulently for at least three years...

Possibly even four, one year at college (access course?), three year degree course. It's going to be a long repayment plan.

Morlock

Mara69 wrote: »

OP, what exactly were you claiming?

This, it is possible that you (OP) were entitled to some benefits, but not all.

paulcornwall

Mara69 wrote: »

Quite the error right there. Sounds like the OP was claiming fraudulently for at least three years - and I am sure the forms you have to complete in order to claim benefits ask about loans and grants.

OP, what exactly were you claiming?

How you work out claiming fraudulently for at least 3 yrs, by my calculation its just over one year??
I was claiming housing benefit, income support and carers allowance.

Morlock

paulcornwall wrote: »

I was claiming housing benefit, income support and carers allowance.

"...its alledged between Sept 2009 and December 2010 I failed to report I was in receipt of student grants and loans."

Why did you stop claiming benefits in December 2010?

It seems that you went to college for a year and then started university for a few months, whilst claiming benefits 'fraudulently', but for some reason, suddenly decided to stop claiming.

susannthe3cs

hiya, i mistakenly did this in 2002- 2004, As i thought the same as you that a student loan is a loan and therefor paid back.. I did a hnd and was a single parent with one dependent child, i was taken to court where it was then thrown out of court due to either them knowing i hadn't done it deliberately or the paper work from my lea stating that they could only take into account as an income a lot less than they were stating as an income and that i had already begun to pay it back and still am.

I went bankrupt about 4 weeks before this happened and actually believe it was the official receiver that notified them. It was a genuine mistake on my part and i learned a very valuable lesson,
if your course was full time you won't have been eligible to Carers allowance whilst studying ,
hope its sorted soon

Anubis_2

Your not allowed to claim carers when in full time education. You will have that to pay back along with the premium most likely and possibly some housing benefit if your loan included accommodation costs.

Mara69

paulcornwall wrote: »

How you work out claiming fraudulently for at least 3 yrs, by my calculation its just over one year??
I was claiming housing benefit, income support and carers allowance.

I was basing it on information in your OP. Uni courses are three years.