compliance officer visit

camcoona

Hi i recived a letter today saying that i will be getting a visit from a compliance officer about a quirey regarding my claim for benefit which i have not reported. I have got a feeling its about me being a full time university student. I told income support that i was starting uni 3 years ago and when i applied for student loan i gave them my national insurance nemebr and told them i was on income support. Im also a single parent of two children, so i thought i was entitled to income support. Either way since i got this letter i have scanned the internet and i have realised that i should not have been getting as much as i have (50 pound a week), i know im entitled to child tax credit and child benefit but now im worried that i will be procecuted for not declaring student loan in writing. Will i go to prison? i did not think that cos i was getting a loan that it would matter cos i have to pay it back. can anyone give me advice on what action i should take please, and what you think might happen and is it classed as benefit fraud, even if it was unintentional. thanks for your time.

stazi

Don't worry- unless you have murdered someone, been caught speeding, or been whistling in church, it's very unlikley that as a single parent you would be sent to an already over crowded prision system.

From page 622 of the 06/07 Child Poverty Action Group handbook-
"Even if you are a full time student, you can claim IS if you are:
- a lone parent, including a lone foster parent, of a child under 16;......"

If you declared the uni course 3 years ago- you declared it!

diddlydum

If you declared it you declared it, and if they didn't pay you the correct rate then its not your fault, unless you should have known they were doing that. Just tell them the truth, and that you declared it, and if you get any more hassle give Community Legal Services (CLS) Direct a call on 0845 345 4345.

camcoona

Thanx for your reply, but im realy worried that i should have made more of an effort to follow it up, i just assumed that i was getting child tax credit and child benefit, but i was obviously getting more than i should, its my own fault but hopefully they will give me a caution and make me pay it back, do you think this is likely?, i dont want a criminal record, how will i get a job then, its a joke realy you try an get your self out of the benefits trap only to be hauled back into it, do you think i should get legal advice before they come, and it dosent help that i have no letters from income support saying that they know im a student, but the DWP LEA Student loans company know i was on income support, arnet all this things related. Oh i donno, thanks anyway and i will be sure to take up your community legal advice if they still hassle me.