Do DWP stop money straight away if you have interview under caution?

nicetomeetyou

My friend owes me money and was going to to pay me today (his pay day). Yesterday he had a letter saying they are stopping his ESA and he needs to attend a interview under caution. He said he didn't get his ESA payed today. I asked him he he needs to take bank statements in and he told me he didn't properly read the letter.

Now I think he is lying to me.

1) If he had such a letter you would read it all wouldn't you? You would know if you had to take bank statements in. Is it routine to take bank statements to interviews under caution?

If they sent such a letter would they give you more then 1 week to attend?

Do they stop you ESA straight away before the interview?

Do you think he's lying to me because he does not want to pay money back to me?

How do interviews under caution really work?

tomtom256

It could have stopped before the interview. It could have stopped as he failed to attend the interview.

Generally they give a couple of weeks notice in case the customer wants to get legal advice.

IAmWales

Have you spoken to your appointee about this? I expect they'll be concerned about you lending money to people, so as you are not drawn into situations like this.

dippy3103

They will suspend his money before the interview only if they have evidence that he is no longer entitled to it - wages or such like.

nicetomeetyou

I havent. I want to know if I'm being taken advantage off?

IAmWales

nicetomeetyou wrote: »

I havent. I want to know if I'm being taken advantage off?

No one here knows, as we do not know your friend or what the DWP have done.

Call your appointee tomorrow or speak to the responsible person on shift to help you with this.

TELLIT01

nicetomeetyou wrote: »

I havent. I want to know if I'm being taken advantage off?

Are you now saying your friend doesn't owe you money? You said in the OP that he does.
In answer to the question about stopping benefit, Yes they can and will if they have solid evidence that an overpayment has been made due to fraud.

Ames

It's sensible to read the letters. But if someone's stressed or scared by the first few lines it makes sense to me that they might not read the whole thing, especially if they have mental health problems.

What your friend is saying could be true, or he could be trying to get out of paying you back. No-one here can say for sure. I'd be inclined to believe him, because it's a lot of technical information for him to come up with if he's lying.

As I Am Wales said though you perhaps need to talk to your appointee or support workers about whether you should lend people money in the first place.

Ames

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Are you now saying your friend doesn't owe you money? You said in the OP that he does.
In answer to the question about stopping benefit, Yes they can and will if they have solid evidence that an overpayment has been made due to fraud.

I think he meant he hasn't spoken to his appointee.

nicetomeetyou

I can't talk to my support workers or appointee because that gives them proof that I need an appointee and I'm trying to get rid off it because I think I'm able to look after my own money. I have tried getting it annulled but they are having none of it and the DWP are not bothered as they won'r speak to me about benefits, when I go down the job centre they just want to get rid off me.

nicetomeetyou

Social services have been stealing my money for ages saying I lack capacity when unwell and stopping me traveling to India. They are doing it because they don't want me to travel to India because they think I will be a risk to myself thats why they have continually put me on a community treatment order for 4 years always renewing it when I haven't got anything with me then they increase my depot meds to make me drugged up. I think my best friend stealing money off me would be the nail in the coffin.