Customer Compliance Officer

tortmad

I received a letter today telling me to attend an interview at the job centre plus office to discuss a query that has arisen concerning my claim to benefit. At first I didn't think anything of it until i started thinking that i already have a work focused interview arranged and wondered if this was for the same thing. I phoned the job centre and the receptionist said no we only have the work focused interview in our records. Then i said the letter was from the customer compliance officer she said oh thats different its for compliance and i said what is that i don't understand and she said FRAUD!!! I think i might have screamed FRAUD.......ME??? Now i am really really worried. I have worked from the day I left college and I have never been on benefit before and I have only been receiving it for 4 months!! I had to give up work to take care of my disabled father and i get income support, carers allowance , child benefit and child tax credits as i have a 14 year old son. Does anyone know what this will be about. I am an absolute novice when it comes to benefits and i am really worried about this? The interview isn't until thursday 1st May so i have quite a long time to wait. I tried to phone the number on the letter but they are on strike today. What should i do. Do i need to speak to a lawyer?

healy

Alot of the work done by Customer Compliance is routine, just to check your details such as your address, Benefits claimed etc. It could also be that someone has reported you for something, but if it is a false report you have nothing to worry about. If it was really thought that fraud was involved you would have an interview under caution with fraud officers. You do not need to speak to a lawyer for this type of interview but that is up to you.

sarebear_2

we had a visit from a compliance officer on Monday of this week. i am sorry to say that it was to check on fraud. someone had reported my husband for working while claiming incapacity benefit, which i can confirm is rubbish. the compliance officer was really nice and seemed to agree that my husband was doing nothing wrong.
but when he arrived he did tell us that as a compliance officer his job was to investigate fraud ! so maybe someone has tried to report you for something . good luck

Paparika

Check with CAB, and if you are entitled to free legal advice go for some, for your own piece of mind

tortmad

I haven't done anything wrong that I know of. I have been honest with them. The thing that did cross my mind was I received a tax rebate cheque for £350 about 4 weeks ago do you think that could have anything to do with it. Should I have told them about it.

cifpower

I had a visit from an officer a few weeks ago. All he did was check that everything on my original claim form was correct and when he got back to the office updated my details. Nothing changed.

Paparika

It may be just to make sure all the details are correct, a few years ago when i had to get IS I had a house visit, I was worried I'd did something wrong, but no I think it was just to check that it was just myself and my son

tortmad

I have noticed that some people are saying an officer paid them a visit and some, like myself, have been told to attend an interview at the job centre office, is there a reason for them doing this?

fi_trix29

Don't know about other benefits, but I know that advisors in the Tax credits office can raise compliance issues if they don't feel something is quite right about a customers claim or what they are saying, even if they don't have solid proof something fraudulent is going on. Obviously there are loads of times where it turns out everything is fine, but since it is public money that is involved there is a responsibility to check up on it. If you haven't lied about anything then it will be fine, like I say it's just that they have a duty to check up on any suspicions.