Help with money being stopped

crazyshady

I am writing this thread on behalf of a family member so I will tell the story the best way I can.

About 4 months ago they were having work done on their house and shortly after the work was done they noticed their JSA was stopped. When they enquired they found out that a complain had been made that other other people were living at the property. This of course was not true and a few weeks went by to see if it sorted itself out. Over a month went by and still no money, no update from the Job Centre but just that their fraud department were looking into things. Months have passed now and they have been to the local housing office and someone there is looking into it too. The person there thought it would have been sorted quickly because once they got in contact and basically said that they are wrong and that there are no other people in the property and it's from an official working there that they would be quick to stop taking action and reimburse the money.

This has been over a month now and still nothing and the person at that office can only send emails and leave messages. Is there anyone else that has had this problem? Is there a number to call to find out what is going on or I was thinking a local CAB might have been able to help. It's over 4 months now, I'm sure they have their ways of camping in cars and bushes waiting for someone to enter the house and take a quick polaroid but after over 4 months it's like.....what else can you do? It's well over £1000 that's gonna have to be paid back. What can they do to either speed things up or end it? Obviously they think that someone doing work there was the one that made some kind of complaint as they work for the company that owns the property but to have people at the Housing speak on your behalf and vouch for you should surely tell the fraud department something. It just seems to be going on and on.

thorsoak

JSA is, as I understand it, Job Seekers Allowance. Does the person who has been claiming this still go and fulfil his/her obligations by signing on at the correct office? By applying for jobs? It's nothing at all to do with working on a house!

NYM

......When they enquired they found out that a complain had been made that other other people were living at the property....

I don't understand that... :think: Can't a person claim JSA if they live with 'other people' ?

Indie_Kid

NYM wrote: »

I don't understand that... :think: Can't a person claim JSA if they live with 'other people' ?

With contritbutions based, yes. Income based - it depends if you're in a relationship with someone. if you are, it depends on their income and savngs.

crazyshady

Yes they still sign on and everything but they think someone has said something and that is why the money has been stopped, I think they were told that someone had put a complaint in saying that there was other people staying at their house when there wasn't supposed to be which isn't true at all. The Job Centre can't seem to do anything either except say wait it out and when they're done they are done but after over 4 months it's going on too long. If they think there is people living there fair enough but surely they have some kind of time limit on things or is the money just going to be stopped until they decide enough is enough?


That's a lot of money to lose. I know they get family allowance but that's not a lot either. 4 months of no JSA is a long time.

thorsoak

crazyshady wrote: »

Yes they still sign on and everything but they think someone has said something and that is why the money has been stopped, I think they were told that
someone had put a complaint in saying that there was other people staying at their house when there wasn't supposed to be which isn't true at all. The Job Centre can't seem to do anything either except say wait it out and when they're done they are done but after over 4 months it's going on too long. If they think there is people living there fair enough but surely they have some kind of time limit on things or is the money just going to be stopped until they decide enough is enough?


That's a lot of money to lose. I know they get family allowance but that's not a lot either. 4 months of no JSA is a long time.

This is all a load of nonsense! If a person is claiming JOB SEEKERS ALLOWANCE then s/he is claiming a benefit relative to his/her entitlement to an allowance whilst seeking employment - if s/he has been working for a year or more, then it is an entitlement to this benefit which is based on ni contributions and is payable for an alloted period. The number of people residing in a property does not come into the equation at all.

Just give us the correct facts, then we might be able to help.

Give us rubbish - you get rubbish back.

rogerblack

thorsoak wrote: »

This is all a load of nonsense! If a person is claiming JOB SEEKERS ALLOWANCE then s/he is claiming a benefit relative to his/her entitlement to an allowance whilst seeking employment - if s/he has been working for a year or more, then it is an entitlement to this benefit which is based on ni contributions and is payable for an alloted period. The number of people residing in a property does not come into the equation at all.

Just give us the correct facts, then we might be able to help.

Give us rubbish - you get rubbish back.

And don't spout crap if you don't understand it.

There are two routes to JSA.
Either income based - which is paid for an unlimited period provided you comply with the requirements laid upon you for jobseeking.

Or contribution based, which is paid for the first six months if you have sufficient contributions. Usually requiring significant work in the last two complete tax years before the beginning of the year in which benefit is claimed.

Income based JSA requires you to report details about what capital and income is of you, and anyone you are 'living together as husband and wife' with.

If you are part of a couple, and your partner earns more than ~140/week, or you have >16K savings or total capital, excluding the house and personal posessions, then you may not be entitled at all to income based JSA.
If there is a strong suspsicion that the person is LTAHAW with someone, then benefit will usually be suspended until this is resolved.

10pence

rogerblack wrote: »

If there is a strong suspsicion that the person is LTAHAW with someone, then benefit will usually be suspended until this is resolved.

Normally quite good with these abbreviations but stumped on this one.


I'm in agreement the claim would be only be suspended if the Job Centre thought there was 'issues' with it. Such as someone making a sole claim but living with another - which seems to be the case here.

Wonder if they've had a compliance interview and if so was it under caution as this would be edging towards fraud.

specialboy

LTHAW= Living together as husband and wife

crazyshady

That is exactly it. Their childrens dad lives at another address and someone said he was living at the family house. There was an interview, it was explained this is why the money was stopped but the job centre made it clear that it wasn't them, it's the fraud department in England that have put a hold on the money while they investigate which I understand, they understand, everyone understands, it's their job, of course they need to investigate it but after 4 months what else could possibly be going on? Not only do they claim JSA but they attend the Work Programme but it's all for nothing. It makes you wonder if it will stop, we're already a week into May, soon it will be half way into the year and heading towards Christmas.


Is there any way that you can phone this fraud department or contact them and ask them why the money is still being stopped and if they are still investigating when that will either stop or is there a time limit on how long they can do this? This is why the Housing was trying to help because they thought they could officialy say that there is no one else living there, they are in that area regularly and they know everyone, they know who lives where and who has kids but it seems to have made no difference.


Would a Citizens Advice Bureau be able to help?

Topcat1982

crazyshady wrote: »

That is exactly it. Their childrens dad lives at another address and someone said he was living at the family house. There was an interview, it was explained this is why the money was stopped but the job centre made it clear that it wasn't them, it's the fraud department in England that have put a hold on the money while they investigate

OK, that makes sense now. Their best chance is proving the children's dad lives elsewhere e.g rent agreement, mortgage etc, bills in his name, car insurance, CSA. This is easier than proving he doesn't live with them.