customer compliance officer

actionman_3

I had a letter saying the DSS had a benefit query and to attend interview with customer compliance officer at dss. I have to bring savings books or bank statement.

I went to CAB to find out what this is about as compliance officer was out.

They said if they said I was under caution to get advice immediately.Then on internet it says they are fraud investigators but compliance officer said she is not.


They just want to adjust benefit if needs be.

Does anyone know what a compliance officer is and does please.

vicki_b

i had to go and see a compliance officer as my we had complained about ny neighbours loud music and they in turn had rang up the fraud line and told them i had a partner living with me who i hadnt declared. i rang up to ask the compliance officer what it was about and he too told me it was just a benefits checking exercise and everyone had to go, when i got there it was a very different story!!

vicki_b

i think they give you a chance to put things right before it gets taken higher, eg, fraud squad. do you think someone has grassed you up? maybe someone is jealous or they have done it out of maliciousness

actionman_3

What happens then? She said she is not a fraud investigator and just wants to readjust my benefits if necessary.She said she doesnt take people to court.

Are you saying when you get there it is different to how they are on the phone,calling you lovey etc.

Do you need to take solicitor or advocate or someone.

vicki_b

when i got there the guy was nice but firm and he said if i had been doing something wrong then they would catch me out in the end and i could risk prison. if you can prove you havent done anything wrong then you'll be o.k!id be more worried if you get called in again. i wouldnt say you neeed a solicitor at the moment. id say its kind of a friendly warning!!! and if they say on the phone 'yes we are investigating fraud'-just think of all the people that just wouldnt turn up!!

actionman_3

Did they find you innocent or did you have to go in again.I understand if you dont wish to answer.

vicki_b

to cut a long story short partner was living at his mums and i had my own flat which was very tiny. we had just had twins and he came over to help a few nights a week, probably more than he should've! he was working and i was on benefits. we intended to move in together when we got a bigger place. i explained all this to the compliance officer and he said we could either start living together or he could stay at his mums completely with no stop-overs at mine!- he gave me a chance to put things right-we went on tax credits from that afternoon. we got grassed up as we complained to the council that my upstairs neighbour was playing extremely loud music at all hours

actionman_3

So did they stop your benefits and you had to get money from your boyfriend after that?

How long are the interviews and she said I had nothing to worry about. She asked me if I had an ISA account.

cattie

Interviews under caution normally occur when the DWP have definite proven information that you are claiming benefits that you aren't entitled to. Usually this information is gleaned from data matching that is shared between the dwp & the tax office & other government department computers. Or sometimes in the case of disability benefits, video evidence that a claimant isn't as disabled as they have been claiming to be. Any letter for such an interview will always contain in bold letters that it is an interview under caution.

With compliance office visits, some visits are purely to ensure that claimants are getting all the benefits that they are entitled to & also to ensure that the person registered at the address is who they say they are. Other visits occur if somebody has made an allegation that a claimant is making a false or incorrect claim.

vicki_b

hmm actionman im thinking that they think you have too much savings, could this be the case?

Larumbelle

Not saying this is what happened, but a 'partner' doesn't have to be living with you to be treated as a partner for the puropse of a claim. If there is an ongoing relationship, babies, and two or three nights at your house they might well take the view that he is stopping at his mum's a few nights a week, rather than stopping at yours.