Interview Under Caution for Benefit Fraud investigation

SuziQ

Although it never got to the stage of an interview, I was investigated last year. Turns out my ex had taken on a new credit card using my address, which obviously triggered a letter asking about our relationship.

Luckily for me, I had commenced divorce proceedings and had previously had to have a formal declaration by my soliciotr that he no longer lived at the property following a long line of bailiffs turning up.

I was ticked off for not knowing he hadn't changed his drivers licence and even though I couldn't give a current address as he was known to be living in his van ( the police had already rounded him up for vagrancy a couple of times) they were fine with me but told me to contact the credit agencies to make it clear he no longer lived here. He wasn't happy as it has made his life difficult with regard to his bank and insurance etc. but I'm afraid I had to put my kids and myself first!

Good luck tomorrow- if everything is as you have stated here, you have nothing to worry about!

nannytone_2

im not trying to put the cat amongst the pigeons but ....

has everyone else forgotton that the OP's parents give her money on a regular basis which the OP puts into her bank account?
as she will have tp produce bank statements, this extra money will obviously show up.

as it is a regular 'gift' it could well be classed as income

dawn_rose

Hiya, firstly I wish you luck for your interview I hope it all goes well, try not to worry. Is your ex on the electoral roll for your property? It can be checked online at 192 enquries if you search his name and location x

HB58

Go to bed! :grouphug:

sniggings

mum2one wrote: »

thats a brilliant amount of work done, a penny to a pound its someone who has seen your ex coming and going and put 2 + 2 together and got 5...

Hope DD is ok, sounds like if she had you up most of the night, she'll catch up with her sleep 2mor, as mojisola said - get a catnap.

x

I think they will have a bit more than a tip off from a caller to warrant a interview under caution.

@OP, if you have done anything wrong I would come clean as soon as possible, if he has strayed the odd night, chances are they will have seen him leave in the morning etc for him not to have his own place, be working, still use your address and comes over a lot, you can see why they might get the wrong idea.

paddedjohn

I would put a tenner on it being his new girlfriend who made the call.

nannytone_2

Mumof1littlegirl wrote: »

Hi nannytoone

I have already thought of this as a problem. Although it is regular monthly money that my parents give me, in cash, that I pay into my account...ALL of this money can be seen going into the bank, and literally coming out the next day to various debt companies. I have got bank statements ready to take with me, with the money going in and going out, highlighted. The bank statements clearly show the debt companies names on them and the payments that were made.

NONE of the money I put in from my parents, stays in the account, or floats in there for any amount of time, and does not get spent on anything other than debts.

I was aware that cash gifts from family wasn't counted as income, (and may I add, money that they have already been taxed for) but I understand that as its monthly the DWP may get funny over it.

Although I was also led to believe that the money I get from the DWP is for living expenses and the care of my little girl. I'm sure they'd have something to say if I was using their money to pay my debts off from stupidity over the years.

If I was putting this cash in, and spending it on nights out, or clothes, or holidays, I could see this as a problem. But debts?

Well, we will see tomorrow. I will tell them exactly as I've told you x

i dont think you are grasping the problem that i raise.
the DWP wont care what this money is used for. they dont care about what debts you may have.
all they care about is what money you have regular access to.

i dont understand why you pay this money into your account.
coulsnt your benefit money service these debts and you use the cash from your parents to live on?

as i said previously, the DWP arent concerned with what this money is used for, just the fact that it enters your account on a regular basis

kazwookie

Any post that does arrive for him, straight away write on it

'Return to sender, not known at this address' and post it in the nearest post box straight away.

UnderPressure

Mumof1littlegirl wrote: »

Hi nannytoone

I have already thought of this as a problem. Although it is regular monthly money that my parents give me, in cash, that I pay into my account...ALL of this money can be seen going into the bank, and literally coming out the next day to various debt companies. I have got bank statements ready to take with me, with the money going in and going out, highlighted. The bank statements clearly show the debt companies names on them and the payments that were made.

NONE of the money I put in from my parents, stays in the account, or floats in there for any amount of time, and does not get spent on anything other than debts.

I was aware that cash gifts from family wasn't counted as income, (and may I add, money that they have already been taxed for) but I understand that as its monthly the DWP may get funny over it.

Although I was also led to believe that the money I get from the DWP is for living expenses and the care of my little girl. I'm sure they'd have something to say if I was using their money to pay my debts off from stupidity over the years.

If I was putting this cash in, and spending it on nights out, or clothes, or holidays, I could see this as a problem. But debts?

Well, we will see tomorrow. I will tell them exactly as I've told you x

I have read through this thread and hope everything goes well for you today, I am sure it will after all you have done nothing wrong and we all need to have enough faith in the system that as you are innocent all will be well, good luck to you I am looking forward to reading how it all went later

One thing I want to pick up on though is for some reason you very wrongly think that any money paid into your account that goes out the very next day on a bill is OK when in actual fact you could not be more from the truth, it is still income regardless of what it gets spent on, the fact it is paying a bill is completely irrelevant , HousingBenefitOfficer has already said earlier in the thread that cash gifts from family are over looked but for future reference just because something is paying a bill does not mean for 1 minute it is not classed as income.

As NannyToOne has said the only sticking point I see with this is the fact it is a regular amount every month. This needs to be a lesson to you for the future, remember ignorance is NO excuse!

Having said all that I do believe you are genuine and wish you the best of luck

shop-to-drop

If it were me I would give them the information on where he is actually living. His new girlfriends address or if I didn't know the full adress as much information as I could, name, area she lives names of any children she has etc.

It may very well be his previous Ex who has informed especially if he doesn't give the child he has we her the attention yours gets and doesn't pay her maintenance either. I wouldn't worry about that though just tell the truth and you'll be fine.