Can DSS look into my bank account?

fuzzgun19 · 3 June 2005 at 9:26AM

I am a single mum receiving income support and have recently inherited around £1000 from my grandmother who has died.
I have put the money into my bank account. Someone has told me that the DSS will see the money in my account and stop my benefit.
I just wondered if anyone out there would know if this is true?
Can they look into your account at any time, and would they stop my benefit?

criminal_smile · 3 June 2005 at 9:37AM

Fuzzgun, they can look into your account. Most benefit agencies do a scan from time to time, where they will cross reference bank records with benefit claimants. If they get a match, they will then look at it. If you have money in there, they may adjust your benefit accordingly, but it won't stop completely.

fuzzgun19 · 3 June 2005 at 9:47AM

Hi, Thanks for that. If I opened another account at a different bank to put the money in, would they still be able to see it?

deb0020 · 3 June 2005 at 9:49AM

The DSS or Jobcentreplus do NOT have access to your bank account. They can ask you for your bank statements and you would have to provide them or lose Income Support. But your bank will not give out your private info to them.
If you are in receipt of Income Support you can have up to £3000.00 without your IS being reduced. Between £3000 and £8000 there is a £1 reduction for every £250. Over £8000 then Income Support stops.

So as long as your total capital is still below £3000 then your IS will not change.

Hope this helps.

scotswarvet · 3 June 2005 at 10:00AM

fuzzgun19 wrote:

Hi, Thanks for that. If I opened another account at a different bank to put the money in, would they still be able to see it?

No if you never declare it directly to them.

alared · 3 June 2005 at 10:04AM

deb0020 is correct in this matter.

fuzzgun19 · 3 June 2005 at 10:17AM

Thanks for all your help so far. I wasnt sure if the DSS can look into your account if they only have your name(ie. If I opened a different account)

GraemeB · 3 June 2005 at 10:21AM

Actually deb0020 is partially correct!

If you only have a £1000 it will not reduce your IS, but you must still declare any change of circumstance.

However DWP and DSS do have powers to look at customers bank accounts, but only in certain circumstances. (suspected fraud being one of them!)

aliasojo · 3 June 2005 at 10:26AM

Don't be too sure they can't. A few years back there was a short time in my life when I was in receipt of IS and housing benefit etc. I had an old unused bank account with a very small amount in it which I had forgotten about as it was dormant to all intents and purposes.

I got a letter telling me that I had not declared all my accounts. I insisted I had told them but they kept saying I hadn't. Eventually after racking my brains I found the account in question and told them about it, including the fact that it only had less than a tenner in it.

So they may well have access to more details than you think, otherwise how would they have known about an account that I didn't even know about (or remember about to be strictly accurate)?

Fran · 3 June 2005 at 12:50PM

GraemeB is right about this.

These two websites have more detail about fraud - Spelthorne council and Gateshead council.

Also from 2004 Income Support guide - see page 117 & page 119 DWP info it appears that money received like this counts as capital and therefore the capital rules which state you can have up to £3,000 without affecting your benefit apply.

Ted_Hutchinson · 3 June 2005 at 3:09PM

Code of Practice on Obtaining Information (Version Two) - Social ...

Can DSS look into my bank account?

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