Son In Receipt of ESA and DLA - Compliance Letter from Local JobCentre

deannagone

My son, 24, has received a letter warning of a Compliance Telephone Interview from the local job centre.

Now, my son has ASD, ADHD and other things.  

So, is this interview just a loose check on his status, or is it a warning we've done something wrong. I don't know how he will cope with an aggressive phone call, he's not very good on the phone at all.  He can misunderstand things very easily.  Oops I've googled and it looked like it might be 'searching'.  I just don't know how he'll cope.  I had one of these.  I wasn't doing a single thing wrong but it was like I had been tried and found guilty before I even arrived.  It was awful, very very stressful the interviewer was very loud and aggressive and really did seem to assume I was a criminal and I didn't cope well at all.  It ended up with me changing my benefit status, temporarily, purely due to panic.  Did sort it all out in the end, but I dread anything like that happening again.

Can he get any support - there are no advocacy services around where we live.

Scotch_Bonnet_

There are services that can be on the line while he is talking to them, who can prompt him and offer support. have a google, contact them and ask if there is anyone free at his appointment. The compliance officer can then add them to the call at the interview.

deannagone

Which services?  Not sure the sort of search terms to use 'Comliance support service' - what?  We have little/no advocacy support services here. Nothing that would be available on 2nd (Tuesday). I've phoned Scope, they didn't know of anything that could help.  NAS don't offer this kind of support.

wilfred30

Is this your son's first compliance interview since claiming benefits in his own right rather than being on your claim?

It's not helpful for you to be asserting that it will be an 'aggressive phonecall' when you don't know that it will be any such thing.

Given that you say that you've only had one compliance interview in all the years that you've been claiming benefits, it's not exactly indicative of all interviews.

poppy12345

They do sometimes do random checks on people and i've heard of lots of people having these checks and it's turned out to be nothing at all to worry about. It doesn't mean they will be aggressive towards him.

deannagone

My experience was fairly extreme, but obviously it can happen.  My son has been claiming ESA in his own right for about 5 years..  From googling, it does seem that there is something DWP is wanting to ask questions about rather than just checking his bank details etc.  So I think I am right to be concerned it could be challenging for him.  He has problems misunderstanding words at the best of times.  But hoping I can support him.  Doesn't seem like there is any choice, got to get through it somehow.

poppy12345

deannagone said:

  From googling, it does seem that there is something DWP is wanting to ask questions about rather than just checking his bank details etc.  So I think I am right to be concerned it could be challenging for him.

Google isn't always the best answer, especially for things like this. The letter will be a standard one that's sent to everyone. If it doesn't say "interview under caution" then it's likely nothing to worry about. I also say "if you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about"

deannagone

He hasn't done anything wrong, but neither had I when I had a compliance interview.  The interviewer just decided I had. You are also completely ignoring the fact that if the interviewer is aggressive, my son will just curl up in a ball and be unable to answer.  He'll probably lose his benefits then.  Purely on the basis of not being able to answer any questions they have.  So yes, I am dreading this interview.

wilfred30

deannagone said:

He hasn't done anything wrong, but neither had I when I had a compliance interview.  The interviewer just decided I had. You are also completely ignoring the fact that if the interviewer is aggressive, my son will just curl up in a ball and be unable to answer.  He'll probably lose his benefits then.  Purely on the basis of not being able to answer any questions they have.  So yes, I am dreading this interview.

I think you are being a tad dramatic.  If you are passing on your 'fear' to him, that will just make him more anxious than he needs to be.

You seem to be assuming that all of the interviewers are aggressive which is quite insulting tbh.

deannagone

lol, thanks.

Skibunny40

So how did the interview go?