Compliance interview

kittypi

Hi everyone, I'm hoping this is the right place to put this problem.

Just got off the Work Programme and have now been forwarded for a compliance interview. Apparently it's a standard thing nowadays after you finish two year. So I don't assume this is anything to do with someone calling up and saying I'm working or something. However my statements month in and out are quite high, so it looks like I'm getting god knows how much money when quite big portions are actually my granddad lending to other family members.

Now my problem is that I've been borrowing (quite heavily, I might add) from my family to make up for the fact I received about 93.50 consistently for the past six months (and my outgoings are far, far more than 93.50 a month). I think it went up a little in May after the tax year, but not by much. My bank statements reflect this. I've been told to bring all my statements for the past six months for all accounts. I mean right at this moment, I have about £24 to my name, so I'm not worried about that.

I'm worried about the fact that I have no idea if I was supposed to declare this or not, there's no guidance at all. I mean, it's come to the point where my mum's paying my cable bill, tv licence and phone bill and I'm covering everything else. I'm literally borrowing from my granddad to eat and for unexpected expenses.

I can account for most of the things I've paid for. My statements aren't helpful at all when it comes to tracking it all but I've got an idea of what money's gone where. I can also account for money that's gone through my account to others (my bank account is the only one linked to my granddad's, so it's a case of it has to go through mine or you don't get money).

Naturally I'm quiet terrified that this might be fraud. I've just had an enhanced CRB done and I'm freaking out that this may screw up my one and only job offer that I've had in two and a half years.

Any advice? Do I inform them before the compliance or can I just redact my bank statements to things I only think they need to see. I might just take in mini statements for the other accounts because I can't print of 6 months worth of like... the 3 accounts (jsa in one, direct debits in another and one my mum uses to put money in) that are used. I just don't have money for that.

FBaby

You should have been declaring any income coming into you, whatever the source, as this could affect the benefits you received.

The best thing you can do is have a genuine answer for any question they might ask, but the above will still apply regardless of whether you have a good reason for money coming in your account.

princessdon

Gifts from family if declared can be ignored, show them that the exact money given covers the exact cable bill etc and explain. If however, you have a lifestyle on paper that cannot be sustained on benefits then you should expect questions.

They will already have evidence and data if you were reported. Is this an interview under caution? If not then could just be end of WP.

Dunroamin

kittypi wrote: »

Hi everyone, I'm hoping this is the right place to put this problem.

Just got off the Work Programme and have now been forwarded for a compliance interview. Apparently it's a standard thing nowadays after you finish two year. So I don't assume this is anything to do with someone calling up and saying I'm working or something. However my statements month in and out are quite high, so it looks like I'm getting god knows how much money when quite big portions are actually my granddad lending to other family members.

Now my problem is that I've been borrowing (quite heavily, I might add) from my family to make up for the fact I received about 93.50 consistently for the past six months (and my outgoings are far, far more than 93.50 a month). I think it went up a little in May after the tax year, but not by much. My bank statements reflect this. I've been told to bring all my statements for the past six months for all accounts. I mean right at this moment, I have about £24 to my name, so I'm not worried about that.

I'm worried about the fact that I have no idea if I was supposed to declare this or not, there's no guidance at all. I mean, it's come to the point where my mum's paying my cable bill, tv licence and phone bill and I'm covering everything else. I'm literally borrowing from my granddad to eat and for unexpected expenses.

I can account for most of the things I've paid for. My statements aren't helpful at all when it comes to tracking it all but I've got an idea of what money's gone where. I can also account for money that's gone through my account to others (my bank account is the only one linked to my granddad's, so it's a case of it has to go through mine or you don't get money).

Naturally I'm quiet terrified that this might be fraud. I've just had an enhanced CRB done and I'm freaking out that this may screw up my one and only job offer that I've had in two and a half years.

Any advice? Do I inform them before the compliance or can I just redact my bank statements to things I only think they need to see. I might just take in mini statements for the other accounts because I can't print of 6 months worth of like... the 3 accounts (jsa in one, direct debits in another and one my mum uses to put money in) that are used. I just don't have money for that.

Could you clarify what you mean by the bolded sentence as it doesn't seem to make any sense to me?

Why do you receive only £93.50 pm from benefits ?

xylophone

Your grandfather is lending you money - presumably he is quite happy to say so and a record is being kept of the loans?

Your mother is paying your bills and is happy to confirm this?

Take a letter from both parties and full details of the sums involved to the interview.

Dunroamin

xylophone wrote: »

Your grandfather is lending you money - presumably he is quite happy to say so and a record is being kept of the loans?

His grandfather isn't lending the OP money, he said "quite big portions are actually my granddad lending to other family members" which is why I can't understand why the money's in the OP's account.

Jobseeeker

you've just had the enhanced CRB done? nothing will have shown up on it. You don't have a criminal record just now.

Somerset

Dunroamin wrote: »

His grandfather isn't lending the OP money, he said "quite big portions are actually my granddad lending to other family members" which is why I can't understand why the money's in the OP's account.

It's not ( currently ) - but it has been.

There's absolutely no reason why grandfather couldn't have made the transfers direct to the recipients.

It all sounds iffy The explanation, given here and possibly in future to the DWP just doesn't make sense. There is no need for grandfather's money to be funnelled through OP's account.

No idea on the redacting question. Common sense says this is exactly why the DWP want to see statement's, not the redacted version that blanks out money paid in.

xylophone

His grandfather isn't lending the OP money

Now my problem is that I've been borrowing (quite heavily, I might add) from my family

I'm literally borrowing from my granddad to eat and for unexpected expenses.

OP is borrowing from Grandfather.

Dunroamin

xylophone wrote: »

OP is borrowing from Grandfather.

Sorry, you're right. I was more concerned with this money that's swilling around in his account for no conceivable reason.

kittypi

FBaby wrote: »

You should have been declaring any income coming into you, whatever the source, as this could affect the benefits you received.

The best thing you can do is have a genuine answer for any question they might ask, but the above will still apply regardless of whether you have a good reason for money coming in your account.

See if they had told me to declare anything from family in the first place, I would have. But all I've ever been told is declare income, which to me, sounds like anything I've actually worked for. If they had said anything you borrow from family, I'd have been doing that for the past god knows how long I've been on JSA.

princessdon wrote: »

Gifts from family if declared can be ignored, show them that the exact money given covers the exact cable bill etc and explain. If however, you have a lifestyle on paper that cannot be sustained on benefits then you should expect questions.

They will already have evidence and data if you were reported. Is this an interview under caution? If not then could just be end of WP.

As far as I'm aware, it's just them checking up on me because of work programme, that's what my adviser said. Essentially other people say it's a way to make sure they can kick people off benefits.

Part of me wishes I was actually better with money and knew how to live off 94 a fortnight and I also wish my family shouldn't have bothered to help me in the first place and let me starve and have nothing though.

Dunroamin wrote: »

Could you clarify what you mean by the bolded sentence as it doesn't seem to make any sense to me?

Why do you receive only £93.50 pm from benefits ?

I say that because the monthly in and out on mine can sometimes say 800 in 800 out despite the fact I didn't have 800, I would have had just short of 190 a month from JSA and borrowed about the same from my granddad and mum. And my sister or my mum would have borrowed from my granddad the rest.

I'll clarify, I get 93.50 a fortnight, paying back social fund. Basically was supposed to write a fortnight but apparently wrote a month. So it works out to 187 a month then I guess.

xylophone wrote: »

Your grandfather is lending you money - presumably he is quite happy to say so and a record is being kept of the loans?

Your mother is paying your bills and is happy to confirm this?

Take a letter from both parties and full details of the sums involved to the interview.

Yeah, my uncle's the one in charge of his money and says he'll happy answer a call if they get shirty about it (which I'm now anticipating so I might have to ask my mum to come with me because it's now making me anxious as hell).

Dunroamin wrote: »

His grandfather isn't lending the OP money, he said "quite big portions are actually my granddad lending to other family members" which is why I can't understand why the money's in the OP's account.

Somerset wrote: »

It's not ( currently ) - but it has been.

There's absolutely no reason why grandfather couldn't have made the transfers direct to the recipients.

It all sounds iffy The explanation, given here and possibly in future to the DWP just doesn't make sense. There is no need for grandfather's money to be funnelled through OP's account.

No idea on the redacting question. Common sense says this is exactly why the DWP want to see statement's, not the redacted version that blanks out money paid in.

Might just point out I'm a she.

I've actually be complaining about it going through my account because I knew something like this would happen and I have been asking if they could just take it in cash or whatever.

Basically my account's the only one on the online banking. You need a card/card reader to set up the online banking so my uncle who is in charge of the card and it is at my uncle's home (if you must know, my sister once stole my granddad's bank card and tried to take money from it and then it was found my coat pocket a day later, what can I say, my sister is a thief and it's up to my granddad and uncle if they want to lend her money, not me). No one else's account has ever been added because my uncle would literally tell my mum and sister where to go if they wanted their accounts added (they both owe far more than me). Need a card/card reader to send money. Therefore if my uncle and granddad approve they can have it, it is sent to mine and then I'm pestered to send it to them.

I can pretty much account for those though, when the exact amount of money comes from my granddad account and goes to my mum or my sister, it's not that hard to make an arrow to it. My statement doesn't seem to go chronologically though, so it is a mess. I'm also aware, it does look I like launder money at the same time which is whhy I'm so worried about tomorrow and have being crying for what feels like 72 hours straight.

I'll happily attest to the fact I am awful with money (I'm in a stupid amount of debt). I'm not going to lie because I've always been awful with money.

I'll also point out my granddad is physically disabled, so he cannot go to the bank himself, hence why my uncle is the one in charge of his financial affairs. I'll also point out everyone mentioned has permission to have the money from both my granddad and my uncle and it's always been a case of when I get a job, you get your money back.

Sorry if I missed out anyone's quotes. But I think I answered well enough. I'll be sure to let you know what actually happens tomorrow.