DWP forcing me to repay a debt caused by identity fraud

huckster

In most cases, those making the fraudulent claims will have had enough identity information to have made the benefit claim and take out advance benefit payments available.

The OP could request a one to one meeting with DWP fraud officer at nearest DWP office, where the OP could share all of their information  to clarify that they did not make the claims or receive benefit money. And answer any questions that would assist DWP.

myDWPhell

huckster said:

Just ask them for a list of payment dates as that is not anyone's data and say you will provide Bank Statements covering the relevant dates that will evidence no payments received by you.

Banks can provide statements going back at least 6 years. 

Yes, I’d been requesting that information. Unfortunately, they didn’t provide it until after their final judgement. However, that is exactly the information I’ve submitted to the Tribunal. 

myDWPhell

KxMx said:

I have two current accounts and were I making a false fraud claim I could easily submit statements for account A and say not me getting the payment, when it's going into account B. 

I have submitted statements for ALL my current accounts alongside a copy of my Experian Credit Report. My Experian Credit Report details ALL my current accounts. So I’ve provided evidence showing all the current accounts I have and all relevant statements. 

myDWPhell

huckster said:

But you could provide statements for all accounts held. And copy of credit record.

Thanks, that’s exactly what I’ve done!

myDWPhell

born_again said:

myDWPhell said:

It’s not just me. This must be happening to thousands of people. 

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/nov/14/universal-credit-fraud-scam

“None of the people I spoke to could help, except to tell me that I owed this money. I reported the matter to Action Fraud and heard nothing.“

” Following the Guardian’s intervention, Davies was contacted by a member of the DWP’s fraud team, who, she says, told her that the department was dealing with thousands of similar cases.”

“ “I asked which bank account this payment had been made to – as it certainly hadn’t been mine – but the person wouldn’t tell me on the grounds of data protection.”

“ “I was concerned that my national insurance number had been used by the fraudster but she told me that they wouldn’t have needed it to apply for an advance. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.”

“ One (DWP) official said he was concerned that hundreds of millions of pounds had been paid as advance payments, sometimes on the day.”

THE DWP DO NOT CARE - The DWP are treating innocent victims of crime as criminals. 

The worst part of it is, just as in the Post Office Horizon scandal the DWP are aware of the fraudulent claims. They know, but they carry on treating innocent victims as criminals. 

DWP - Not fit for purpose! 

While you do not need a NIN to apply for an advance. You do to set up a UC claim. 🤦‍♀️ You can only claim an advance within your UC claim. 

That sounds about right. Perhaps she was incorrectly informed but I don’t know. But it doesn’t change the fact that the DWP treat innocent victims as though they are the criminals. The way they treat people in my situation is appalling. 

myDWPhell

huckster said:

In most cases, those making the fraudulent claims will have had enough identity information to have made the benefit claim and take out advance benefit payments available.

The OP could request a one to one meeting with DWP fraud officer at nearest DWP office, where the OP could share all of their information  to clarify that they did not make the claims or receive benefit money. And answer any questions that would assist DWP.

What’s an OP? I was never given such an opportunity nor was the possibility of such a meeting raised with me. 

Muttleythefrog

myDWPhell said:

huckster said:

In most cases, those making the fraudulent claims will have had enough identity information to have made the benefit claim and take out advance benefit payments available.

The OP could request a one to one meeting with DWP fraud officer at nearest DWP office, where the OP could share all of their information  to clarify that they did not make the claims or receive benefit money. And answer any questions that would assist DWP.

What’s an OP? I was never given such an opportunity nor was the possibility of such a meeting raised with me. 

The original poster or opinion giver... the person who started the thread here. 

Just casually reading this thread time to time. It's obviously a nightmare... something pretty intolerable like having identity stolen. Hopefully the tribunal gets to see sufficient submissions to conclude the DWP has no leg to stand on in claiming you received these monies and were the person who made the claim. 

It's obviously had a dramatic impact on life and caused probably some obsession to get things put right. Unacceptable the lack of information supplied that enables challenging their narrative or evidence.

No advice other than already provided.

myDWPhell

Muttleythefrog said:

myDWPhell said:

huckster said:

In most cases, those making the fraudulent claims will have had enough identity information to have made the benefit claim and take out advance benefit payments available.

The OP could request a one to one meeting with DWP fraud officer at nearest DWP office, where the OP could share all of their information  to clarify that they did not make the claims or receive benefit money. And answer any questions that would assist DWP.

What’s an OP? I was never given such an opportunity nor was the possibility of such a meeting raised with me. 

The original poster or opinion giver... the person who started the thread here. 

Just casually reading this thread time to time. It's obviously a nightmare... something pretty intolerable like having identity stolen. Hopefully the tribunal gets to see sufficient submissions to conclude the DWP has no leg to stand on in claiming you received these monies and were the person who made the claim. 

It's obviously had a dramatic impact on life and caused probably some obsession to get things put right. Unacceptable the lack of information supplied that enables challenging their narrative or evidence.

No advice other than already provided.

In that case I’m the OP! 

I was given nothing. No information, no opportunities. Seriously, absolutely nothing. It’s had a catastrophic impact on my mental health and having read other people’s accounts of their experiences this is common. Extreme stress and anxiety, sleep deprivation… It’s been truly awful. I did nothing wrong and throughout the entire process I’ve consistently reached out to the DWP. 

Blancmang25

huckster said:

In most cases, those making the fraudulent claims will have had enough identity information to have made the benefit claim and take out advance benefit payments available.

The OP could request a one to one meeting with DWP fraud officer at nearest DWP office, where the OP could share all of their information  to clarify that they did not make the claims or receive benefit money. And answer any questions that would assist DWP.

Requesting a one to one with a DWP fraud officer will not happen. 
From the op previous posts it sounds as though he may spoken to  a compliance officer(maybe), as it states he received a phone call.
The compliance team are very different to a fraud team.
I have already advised the op regarding this and have  advised op to make a fraud referral about this matter. (He basically has to refer himself using his correct details and then details of the alledged fraud, either online or by phone, phone probably easier).

myDWPhell

My favourite call with Universal Credit went as follows. 

UC: Ask me verification questions based on details of the original fraudulent claim. 

Me: I explain that it was a fraudulent claim and as a result I can’t answer those questions. 

UC: Refer to the “security questions” - these being the questions set up by the fraudulent claimant when he created the claim. UC refer to the “security questions” but at the same acknowledge that given what I’ve just explained (that it’s a fraudulent claim) I won’t be able to answer the security questions.

Me: I confirm that as the security questions were created by the fraudulent claimant, I would not be able to answer them. 

Me: I then ask UC to confirm that, as I can’t answer the questions based on the details of the fraudulent claim and I can’t answer the “security questions” created by the fraudulent claimant they cannot discuss the claim/case with me - this being the claim/case where they have decided I made the claim and have forced me into a repayment plan! 

UC: Confirm that is the case. 

Me: I then ask UC to confirm that should the fraudulent claimant call and correctly answer the verification questions (as only he could)  then UC would discuss the claim/case. 

UC: Confirm that this is indeed the case!!!

Absolute madness!!! Nothing could be any more absurd and ridiculous - Kafka springs to mind!

DWP - Not fit for purpose!