Interview Under Caution - Help Needed

mynameistallulah

Scot-in-exile wrote: »

Absolutely he is a drain on her finances. Because he (definately) doesn't work my parents, brother and I will have nothing to do with him. She didn't even tell us he was back with her. I can't for the life of me work out how she has an overpayment at all. I have read a lot today (should have been working so am now completely behind), now I am not a stupid person, but a lot of what I read didn't make a great deal of sense to me at all. For the life of me I can't work out how there can be an overpayment. If the authorities decide that they ARE a couple, I can't see what there is to pay back?

Hopefully this mess will give the CSA some ammunition.

It may well be that once the DWP complete their investigation there is no overpayment. However, they will scrutinise the situation carefully - as they have not declared their living situation, what else are they hiding? For instance, is he working cash in hand, is she really unfit for work etc?

Whatever the outcome of the investigation, given that there has been dishonesty she can expect all future claims to be carefully looked into.

Dunroamin

Scot-in-exile wrote: »

Absolutely he is a drain on her finances. Because he (definately) doesn't work my parents, brother and I will have nothing to do with him. She didn't even tell us he was back with her. I can't for the life of me work out how she has an overpayment at all. I have read a lot today (should have been working so am now completely behind), now I am not a stupid person, but a lot of what I read didn't make a great deal of sense to me at all. For the life of me I can't work out how there can be an overpayment. If the authorities decide that they ARE a couple, I can't see what there is to pay back?

Hopefully this mess will give the CSA some ammunition.

I don't understand why you're getting involved with this at all. You don't get on with your sister and you don't approve of what she's done so why not just step back and let her stew?

Scot-in-exile

mynameistallulah wrote: »

It may well be that once the DWP complete their investigation there is no overpayment. However, they will scrutinise the situation carefully - as they have not declared their living situation, what else are they hiding? For instance, is he working cash in hand, is she really unfit for work etc?

Whatever the outcome of the investigation, given that there has been dishonesty she can expect all future claims to be carefully looked into.

Thank you for your reply, (love the name:D). She is definately not fit for work at the moment as she has just been put in the working group for Employment Support and he definately doesn't work because I found out from her last night that he uses her car (he doesn't have one) to take the children to school every morning, and apparently he spends the entire day playing warcraft games on his laptop:mad:

Scot-in-exile

Dunroamin wrote: »

I don't understand why you're getting involved with this at all. You don't get on with your sister and you don't approve of what she's done so why not just step back and let her stew?

My sister suffers mental health problems (she is bipolar). When she arrived on my doorstep last night she was in a real state, and was talking about telling my parents all about the situation. The reason I have felt I should get involved is because I really don't want them dragged in to this. They are in poor health as it is and I suppose I just want to shield them:o

RAS

She really is making her situation much much worse by continuing to lie. Chance are that they already have photos of him taking the kids to school, for example.

She needs to go to a proper benefits advisor and try and negoitiate a confession and re-assessment.

Dunroamin

Scot-in-exile wrote: »

My sister suffers mental health problems (she is bipolar). When she arrived on my doorstep last night she was in a real state, and was talking about telling my parents all about the situation. The reason I have felt I should get involved is because I really don't want them dragged in to this. They are in poor health as it is and I suppose I just want to shield them:o

I'm afraid that you've given in to emotional blackmail.

Scot-in-exile

I wanted to update this thread, it seems many people never let people know the outcome. Well, this got cleared up last week. My sister got a letter stating that "no further action would be taken, case closed".

This was despite her "partner's" parents lying to DWP and saying he lived there, his brother doing the same. My sister denying monies she gets regularly from a charity to help support her children, and finally, she did not provide the medical evidence requested before the deadline set - actually she didn't bother providing it at all.

Meanwhile they have carried on as "normal", he is still there from what I can tell etc.

Not sure what I make of this. DWP had photos of him taking and collecting the kids from school but it would appear it wasn't enough.

Anubis_2

If there isn't enough evidence tbh there is not a lot that can be done. They habe to have enough to prosecute, but him carrying on living there if she is still lying about him being there is foolish.

The case may be closed but they will be keeping an eye out.

BigAunty

Scot-in-exile wrote: »

... My sister denying monies she gets regularly from a charity to help support her children, ....

I don't know any charities that regularly distribute cash to support domestic expenses....She's receiving income support,child tax credits, child benefit, free school meals (if the children are school age) and having her rent and council tax paid for - benefits should be keeping her children.

Btw, income support is paid to lone parents of children under the age of 7 as standard, it's not a sickness benefit per se. I think this will change to 5. At that point, the lone parents get switched off IS and onto Job Seekers Allowance.

Perhaps the DWP/local council will continue with their surveillance, perhaps not. I read an article about their investigations and they often film the secret partner leaving the house every morning for days on end.

Perhaps at most, she may have not had an entitlement to the single person's council tax allowance (discount of 25%).

She's a cheat, he's lazy and has abandoned his kids rather than lose 10-20% of his paid employment income to prevent their exposure to poverty. Sounds like a good match.

I find it hard to believe that he's not claiming benefits at all.

amyloofoo

I think the problem here isn't so much that there may have been an overpayment (as that sounds unlikely), but the real issue is that once the benefits office suspects you of fraud, they're very unlikely to believe anything else you have to say - even if it's true. Unfortunately for your sister, even if she hasn't been overpaid, she has still committed fraud (and in not declaring her OH was living with her, has assisted him in fraud and in depriving his children of their maintenance). I think she can expect her benefit payments to be reassessed to a very strict criteria and may well find herself repaying some benefit that she was probably entitled to.