Interview under caution for pension credit

Poppie68

They could be wondering how your 75 year old mother is traveling around the country on a weekly basis only spending a couple of nights a week in her own home, they could also suspect a relative of living there in her absence while HB is being paid?

hennesm

It was a cd machine . She made a point of saying she couldn't warm the room up and would be turning it off as soon as the cd started. She was given a blank form with no reference number . I have written to request a copy of the interview and ll ring on m Nay to chase it up as its been 3 weeks now and we have heard nothing . The interview office was in toxteth and when I phoned the next day they told me to use her name as the reference as it should've been on the form but the officer concerned was not in to give the info .
They said that they were sending the file to the ' decision maker ' but in the meantime everything was stopped and I will re iterate that she said it was because she could . It would take a minimum of 8 weeks as that was their target time. I left the CS a few years ago but it was never as heavy handed or draconian as this . I intend to complain and have started one already in my request for a copy of the tape . In the mean time we are in limbo. As for transport by cousins pick my mum up and drop her of as do I when she comes to see me . It isn't that difficult really .there isn't one else staying there as she has no family in Liverpool .

xylophone

She does not stay with one person more than a couple of times a week and they stay with her , work permitting , in Liverpool .

It isn't that difficult really .there isn't one else staying there as she has no family in Liverpool .

The two statements seem inconsistent.

[Deleted User]

hennesm wrote: »

It was a cd machine . She made a point of saying she couldn't warm the room up and would be turning it off as soon as the cd started. She was given a blank form with no reference number . I have written to request a copy of the interview and ll ring on m Nay to chase it up as its been 3 weeks now and we have heard nothing . The interview office was in toxteth and when I phoned the next day they told me to use her name as the reference as it should've been on the form but the officer concerned was not in to give the info .
They said that they were sending the file to the ' decision maker ' but in the meantime everything was stopped and I will re iterate that she said it was because she could . It would take a minimum of 8 weeks as that was their target time. I left the CS a few years ago but it was never as heavy handed or draconian as this . I intend to complain and have started one already in my request for a copy of the tape . In the mean time we are in limbo. As for transport by cousins pick my mum up and drop her of as do I when she comes to see me . It isn't that difficult really .there isn't one else staying there as she has no family in Liverpool .

The toxteth office is centrally heated/air conditioned. I've never been cold anywhere in that building.

FBaby

To even get there, they must have gathered quite a level of evidence. You said they had her bank statements and seemed to imply that this showed that she was in Ireland a lot.

Your statement of your mum's activities doesn't align at all with the DWP deciding that they warrant investigation, so somewhere, something doesn't ring right.

Have you looked yourself at your mum's bank statements and can you see why they would have raised their suspicions that she does spend a lot more time in Ireland than what you claim?

hennesm

We were in a room that looked fairly new , it was by a separate exit . I will say again the only heating that day was some sort of fan , she apologised and said she had to turn it off when the cd/tape started as it disrupted it , don't understand why this is so difficult to believe ? It was cold , we were cold .
When my cousins drive her back to Liverpool they stay overnight with her. No one else is living in her flat . Again she has explained this to the housing provider .
There are transactions in Ireland but also transactions in watford . I am her only child and I presumed it was ok for to visit me as often as she could . Didn't realise it was now a Stasi state where pensioners had to be essentially tagged in their movements . My query is more procedural . Is is normal for this two month target for a 'decision maker' . At what point is it reasonable for me to chase up the copy of the interview ( so that I may bring it to a solicitor ) . And what does this decision maker do? In other words what happens next . I am trying to allay my mums stress levels by being prepared .

dippy3103

Ok up deal with your questions :-

1, yes there is a delay on pension credit decisions. That is outside of the officers control. Why are they submitting it to a DM? Do they suspect she is abroad, has savings?
2, I accept that the room may well have been cold. Yes a fan heater would interfere with the recording. You and your mum would have been within your rights to ask for a suspension if you were uncomfortable. Not really the officers fault though- they feel the cold too.
3, Usually copies of the recordings are only requested by solicitors if the case goes to court. I dare say they will supply it if asked. If the interview was as oppressive as you say then it's there on CD. Make a formal complaint and it will be listened to.
4, not remembering to write a reference on the tape notice. Not ideal but is it really that bigger deal? The date and your Mums name will suffice.


If they did behave towards your Mum like you said, then that's very wrong and you should complain.

Why has the case been submitted to the decision maker?

merlin68

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/expat-money/12020482/Autumn-Statement-hard-up-Brits-spending-time-abroad-could-lose-benefits.html
The four weeks abroad doesn't come in till April though.

hennesm

We were told it was going there to see if her benefits would be re instated ? The lack of reference was fine I just put her name and NI on the letter and I'm sure that will be sufficient . the man on the phone told me they go to Blackpool to be transcribed and that they can sometimes get confused with the accents (!) but should be back in a week. That was 3 weeks ago and we haven't heard anything . Think I may just ring up tomorrow and ask what's happening . I have every intention of making a complaint but just want to have the evidence to attach to it first .
I think they suspect she lives abroad ( she doesn't ) and that she has a house in Ireland ( she doesn't ) . It just all seemed a bit heavy handed to me , especially as she had already been honest with the housing provider and council about her movements . She was actually expecting her 5 year review and had all the copies ready for the pension officer .

missbiggles1

hennesm wrote: »

We were in a room that looked fairly new , it was by a separate exit . I will say again the only heating that day was some sort of fan , she apologised and said she had to turn it off when the cd/tape started as it disrupted it , don't understand why this is so difficult to believe ? It was cold , we were cold .
When my cousins drive her back to Liverpool they stay overnight with her. No one else is living in her flat . Again she has explained this to the housing provider .
There are transactions in Ireland but also transactions in watford . I am her only child and I presumed it was ok for to visit me as often as she could . Didn't realise it was now a Stasi state where pensioners had to be essentially tagged in their movements . My query is more procedural . Is is normal for this two month target for a 'decision maker' . At what point is it reasonable for me to chase up the copy of the interview ( so that I may bring it to a solicitor ) . And what does this decision maker do? In other words what happens next . I am trying to allay my mums stress levels by being prepared .

There are many benefits that don't allow claimants to travel abroad while claiming them and pension credit is one of them. If you want to claim public money, it seems only reasonable that you abide by the applicable rules and not have your relatives describe the system that provides all this as a "Stasi state".