Benefit fraud

poppy12345

Katy64 wrote: »

Sorry please excuse my inexperience posting.do you think could be prosecuted. And will i lose benefits. Thank you.

As advised here.

poppy12345 wrote: »

I highly doubt you'll be prosecuted. That's totally different to a fine.

calcotti

Katy64 wrote: »

Could i be prosecuted .will i lose benefits.

Very unlikely to be prosecuted. As explained you are likely to be asked to pay back some of the benefit you have previously received but this does mean you lose your ongoing benefit entitlement. If you are unable to pay back anything owed in one go DWP will usually accept repayment by deduction from your future payments over a period of time.

All you can do is send the information requested and wait for further contact. You may be asked to attend an interview. Try not to stress out, at the moment the DWP are simply gathering information.

TELLIT01

Prosecution is highly unlikely. There will be questions about why you didn't follow up the letter when your benefit wasn't reduced once you had reported the increase in capital.



When did you receive the payout?



If you paid off debts before you had to that could be classed as deprivation of capital. Essential house repairs won't be, so long as you have receipts, and neither will a holiday be as long as you didn't blow huge amounts of money on it.


Assuming you didn't have a total of over £16k at any time, it's simply an overpayment to be considered. If you did go over £16k there would be no entitlement to Income Related benefit which would make the overpayment a lot higher.


You took a lump sum pension payment, did you also receive a weekly/monthly pension as well?

Katy64

No just the lump sum.

poppy12345

Please answer the questions in post #14.



When did you receive payment and did it take your total savings over £16,000?

Katy64

I recieved pzyme4 in August last year. And no was just ,£11.000.i had no other savings.

Katy64

Sorry payment.

calcotti

Katy64 wrote: »

I recieved pzyme4 in August last year. And no was just ,£11.000.i had no other savings.

In that case you remained entitled to benefit but the amount you were entitled to was £20 less per week, as previously indicated by poppy. This reduction would have reduced as your savings declined (subject to any ‘deprivation of capital’ adjustment).

If the house repairs and holiday quickly took you below £6000, the overpayment is going to be over a fairly short period of time so it will not be too great.

Katy64

Thank you for having the kindness and taking the time to reply to me .much appreciated.

TELLIT01

Get as many receipts as possible together before you meet with DWP. They will all help in getting to a resolution quickly. I don't suppose you got proof of posting when you sent the letter to inform DWP of your pension lump sum did you?