Local compliance interview dla

Unknowingly

Hi I wonder if anybody can help me. Im a foster carer for the local authority but I am in receipt of dla, and my wife receives income support so we called the dla and income support when me and my wife started fostering and they said if your circumstances and income haven't changed as it's local authority fostering with nil profit we don't need to do anything but then today I received a letter for a local compliance telephone interview, and when I spoke to the compliance officer he said it's for dla benefit fraud, somebody has reported you, but then I read online as it's a telephone interview it's probably because they've noticed income coming into your bank account and you've not notified them although they told us we didn't need to?? Very panicked and on edge now!! Has anybody got experience of a local compliance interview and what it's actually about as we're now worried about me losing my motability car!!

elsien

DLA isn't means tested, is it?
But if they said it won't affect you if your income hasn't changed, and you now have income going into your account could they be questioning the income support?

Or could someone have queried the level of your disability, rather than it being about income?

Unknowingly

No its definitely about dla, I'll get on the phone and hassle them tomorrow I think, best way forward atm

BorisThomson

Unknowingly wrote: »

No its definitely about dla, I'll get on the phone and hassle them tomorrow I think, best way forward atm

Hassling them is definitely not the best way forward. Ask what the interview is about, but do not hassle.

Do the requirements of fostering contradict your care needs? This is likely to be the issue, how easy it will be to resolve will depend on the circumstances.

bigbill

I would leave it for now.

As its a telephone interview rather than a face to face interview this would suggest the call is just a fact finding exercise and should be nothing to worry about just now.

Unknowingly

No the fostering requirements don't contradict anything, when I called I told them and they said as long as your condition hasn't improved its absolutely fine, to be honest I'm probably worse off now as my condition is just getting worse, but it's my wife that does all the physical stuff I'm more emotional and support for the children

Unknowingly

Elsien, the income we receive is all designated for the child in placement it's a nil profit allowance as it's from the local authority

FBaby

Someone's reported you so they have to investigate. It's either malicious (you upset someone) or someone doesn't really understand how DLA works and has assumed you shouldn't be entitled, or indeed, you've engaged in some activities that contradict your claim and they felt it their duty to report.

Just wait for the interview and you will know.

Unknowingly

Well being a foster carer while in receipt of dla is perfectly acceptable. There is two of us and I haven't engaged in any activities which contradict my claim. So as it's a telephone interview I'm not worried as much as I was although my other half is panicking like hell, this is the last thing we need atm with everything that's going on.

Unknowingly

Should I seek legal advice/help before I have the telephone interview??

FBaby

Whether you should be concerned has nothing to do with it being telephone conversation or else at this stage, but the fact that someone has reported you.

Why would you want to seek legal advice if you've done nothing wrong? Unfortunately, people will report claimants thinking they are cheating the system because they don't understand how DLA/PIP work (ie. that you can claim AND work), however, at the same time, some people lie to claim benefits and think that they'll never be caught because they do everything so not to be, but sometimes forget about what they are doing/saying in front of others.

You know you fall under the former case, so no need to worry. Just answer the questions and that's that.