Not heard back from benefit fraud people

Lyndsay_21

In november 2004 i had a benefit fraud investigator come round. Basically when my partner lost his job in april 2003 he decided to move in with me and the kids and claim job seekers as a family so anyway i informed the right people housing, letter to housing officer etc. Not long after he got a job but they made him redundant about 8/9months later anyway he refiled for jsa and housing benefit but on the forms i put in he moved in in may because i couldn't remember if it was april or may so i put the later month to be on the safe side.
Anyway in november 2004 i had a benefit fraud man come round asking me why i had 2 different dates on the forms and when he moved in etc etc i said i couldn't remember the exact month (had just had a baby so had new mummy memory). Well i had to go for a taped interview and i got all the relevant documents together ie the letter from jsa people from the april he moved in. I went for the interview in early december and they said they'd check his employers (dont know why?) but i haven't heard anything back from the rfraud team yet!!
We've got nothing to hide but i dont know wether to contact them or wait for them to contact me as to whats happening as i want to know as its playing on my mind.

MyUserNamesTaken

I'd contact them for peace of mind. By the sounds of it, they've dropped any further investigation, but have failed to inform you. You've nothing to lose by phoning them and asking. Good luck and don't worry!

Paul_Varjak

I would contact them otherwise you will carry on worrying even though you have nothing to hide.

Lyndsay_21

Yeah i think i will contact them find out whats happening and if they have dropped it why didnt they tell me GRRR.

mandi

Lyndsey,

They done the same thing to me last year, said my boyfriend was living with me when he wasnt. Had to do the tape thing too! its been over a year since they started the investigation, and nearly 9 months since the taped interveiw and I havent heard anything either.. so im assuming they believe my reply.. I know exactly how you feel though.. totally stresses you out even when you know your not guilty.. you want my advice? just leave it.. I took a solicitor with me, and he said if they think your claiming benefits fraudulently, they are in his experience , " pretty quick to stop paying you"

Lyndsay_21

Yeah thats what i thought although we're not on benefits now so they couldn't stop it but i bet if they did find something they'd be asking us to pay overpayment etc pretty quick. the worse thing was when they fraud guy came round i was in my dressing gown and there was a pile of washing i was about to fold up felt like a right skank.

Fran

Yes I suppose you have to check, in case they have not been in touch by mistake and suddenly throw a bill at you!

Just a note for anyone having a taped interview for suspected benefit fraud, it's a criminal offence, so get immediate advice from CAB or similar if you are in this situation.

Paul_Varjak

Prior to my interview they said they had a list of account numbers they wanted to question me about. They said their information came via an anonymous telephone source!

During the interview they gave me details of 15 account numbers asking if any of the account was mine - none of them were!

Subsequently, they admitted they had made no enquiries at all into the list of account numbers and they had not even tried to determine if the account numbers were valid, let alone who might own them! They also admitted the only information they had was this list of account numbers!

Despite this, they still claimed that the list of account numbers amounted to a reasonable reason to interview me!

mandi

hey listen lyndsey,

Dont put yourself down because you were in your dressing gown, I wasnt dressed for the occasion either!!.. these people have a job to do, unfortunately they dont announce their arrival.. point is..half the time they visit people who are not commiting any fraud, and its generally a vindictive ex or a neighbour who you dont speak to thats made the call .. trying to stir up trouble

mandi

Fran wrote:

Yes I suppose you have to check, in case they have not been in touch by mistake and suddenly throw a bill at you!

Just a note for anyone having a taped interview for suspected benefit fraud, it's a criminal offence, so get immediate advice from CAB or similar if you are in this situation.

when you say its a criminal offence, do you mean its an offence for the DSS to tape you? ( sorry if i appear stupid) and does anyone know what happens to the tapes if your not guilty ,and can you get them back??

Fran

mandi wrote:

when you say its a criminal offence, do you mean its an offence for the DSS to tape you? ( sorry if i appear stupid) and does anyone know what happens to the tapes if your not guilty ,and can you get them back??

Benefit fraud is a criminal offence (as in law of the country). Often the person has to pay it back (obviously) but depending on the severity of it and whether deliberate or not, they will get fined and presumably ultimately imprisoned if it's that bad.

Don't know about getting tapes back, they'd probably say they'd lost them or they were wiped or just that you can't cos of their records. No idea where you stand with that, you could try Citizens Advice Bureau, give them a ring?