paying back benefits fraud

ratlett · 17 February 2023 at 9:51PM

for two and a half years with three government debts jobs seekers not only forced me to pay all three off at the same time instead of their policy stating only one at a time informed they were going to take 100% of my claim leaving me with nothing to pay my bills or rent or live, we knew from their insider policies this was wrong but they wouldn't budge. I had been helping out caring to get my allowable £20 but when they took all my claim i asked for more care work and got given cash in hand to help get me through. seven years on someone has dobbed me in. i am a single dad with child responsibilities if i had declared the earnings i would have lost all of it minus the £20. I now owe back to dwp £6750.

THIS IS WHAT I WANT REPLIES TO PLEASE How am i allowed, or in what ways can i pay back extra to what they want to take leaving me with nothing for 20 years without any extra payments being counted as income and loosing nearly all of it, this is such an unfair situation brought about by their failings. I have expressed the mitigating circumstances but they are not interested or that suicide is my only option. Thank you for your help and advice.

ratlett · 17 February 2023 at 8:16PM

for two and a half years with three government debts jobs seekers not only forced me to pay all three off at the same time instead of their policy stating only one at a time informed they were going to take 100% of my claim leaving me with nothing to pay my bills or rent or live, we knew from their insider policies this was wrong but they wouldn't budge. I had been helping out caring to get my allowable £20 but when they took all my claim i asked for more care work and got given cash in hand to help get me through. seven years on someone has dobbed me in. i am a single dad with child responsibilities if i had declared the earnings i would have lost all of it minus the £20. I now owe back to dwp £6750.

How am i allowed, or in what ways can i pay back extra to what they want to take leaving me with nothing for 20 years without any extra payments being counted as income and loosing nearly all of it, this is such an unfair situation brought about by their failings. I have expressed the mitigating circumstances but they are not interested or that suicide is my only option. Thank you for your help and advice.

Devongardener · 17 February 2023 at 8:38PM

Not sure why this in Water Bills, but you need to provide a lot more detail to get some advice.

What ‘government debts’ do you have?
If you are receiving Job Seekers allowance, could you take a job, any job to earn money to live on?

Are you still working cash in hand?

What failings do think DWP have made? They are entitled to recover benefits that have been claimed and paid which were not due to the claimant if they misrepresented earnings.

Auti · 17 February 2023 at 8:45PM

Can you ask for advice from CAB or a debt charity - I worry that you say you are a single dad and that you feel that suicide is the only way out. If you are looking after children there is elements in the benefit calculation for them that I think should still be paid as it is to look after them not you. Please go and see someone, your doctor etc (vouchers for food banks) council tax benefit as you have no income and so on - suicide is not the only option truly.

Newcad · 17 February 2023 at 8:58PM

This is not a situation that can be handled on a public forum.

When it comes to Benefit Fraud then you need somebody who can see your papers and letters from the DWP, somebody who can help you with replies to the DWP, help to minimise your repayments, and so on.

In other words you need a welfare advice service nearby to you, preferably one that has experience with the DWPs Fraud procedures.

You can start by finding advisers local to you, do that by putting your postcode in here:
https://advicelocal.uk/find-an-adviser

It can seem like a disaster, but with someone who can look at your letters and advise you what to do for the best you will come through it.

You are not the first person to be in this situation, and you certainly won't be the last.
People do come through it, it takes time but you can get there.