Hi all, I wrote a book last year and it was picked up by a publisher and was published in February of this year 2014 and has been doing pretty well, it is available worldwide. I run a Facebook page which went crazy popular and it has now got over 100,000 likes. It currently has about 125,000 likes. I was approached by a publisher to write a book on the subject of Wicca which I did. I have been on benefits since being made redundant last March 2013. When my book was published I had a case worker who I saw regularly to help me get back into work and I asked her about the book and what I need to do and she said I shouldn't worry it is more a case of paying tax on it at the end of the year as long as my savings or earnings don't go past £6000. Well the book hasn't made £6000 yet I get a monthly payment from the publishers for royalties of the sales and e-book sales, it started out as about £600 but has now whittled down to about £200 a month for the physical book and the e-book versions. . I am also on a work program called A4E which everyone knows about the book I even took a signed copy in for one of the advisers as she was interested in Wicca. I have always been totally open about the book with both the dole and A4E. I often told the person signing me on I had a book and they would say 'Oh good for you I will look it up' and nothing more said. I had a customer compliance interview with the benefits office and they asked to see my bank statements and other relevant information regarding the book which I showed them. The man interviewing me said they would regard the book as capital and didn't even take a photocopy of my bank statements just made a quick note of my earnings from the book. Today when i went to sign there was a garbled letter in the book that said I must fill in a B7 form which is for people who are working part time and to declare any hours worked or pay. The man seemed confused and went to ask the person who put the letter in my signing book, which he says he 'thinks' that is what i need to do, then they couldn't work out what is was i needed to do so they sent me to another woman who then says I need to fill out a B16 for self employment and they have made an appointment for me for Monday. I don't really want to sign or say I am working part time as i am not I am still available for work and am not working for any company, neither do I want to sign that I am self Employed as I am not I do not own a company or work for one I have owned. No one seems to know including myself what is to be done in these circumstances. I have always been told that my book is capital and it can make up to at least £3000 before it affects my benefit. Can anyone help please??

Thanks antone, I will look through that PDF file.

I can see now that I have been very silly and quite gullible. It has been an honest mistake and like I said I am willing to pay back every penny I owe. I never set out to fool them or anything like that, I was not trying to rip them off or claim unwarranted benefits. I was totally open with all benefits staff and A4E staff, but I do see now I should have told the person while signing on how much I had made from the book. I am just going to go to the interview and be totally open and honest with them. I was at A4E today and a number of the staff are willing to vouch that I had told them about the book. (not so sure the benefits agency staff will do the same). There is no way for them to prove me and my flat mate are a couple because we are not. So I am just going to take the bull by the horns and deal with it. I just hope they can see I am genuine and was never out to rip them off. I really appreciate your help, all that have replied, you have made me see my error and armed me with a whole new way to approach this interview. I am very grateful. Thank the Goddess this forum exists.

I wasn't sure if I needed to declare how much to them, I know lots of people who sell their goods, I had a friend who sold her iphone on Amazon for £500 for her rent and she didn't need to declare that. I know people with savings that don't need to declare unless they are over a certain amount. I had no clue at first how much the book would make. I did tell people I had a book. I have no problem paying the money back I owe, I don't even mind losing my benefits, what I am most worried about is if this is a criminal case or even fraud and can or will they bring charges. Also if I signed off can I avoid the meeting altogether?

I did ask what i needed to do I asked a few benefits people and the people who i signed on with and they just shrugged it off, I was never given any advice who else could I have asked about it?

Hi all, I wrote a book last year and it was picked up by a publisher and was published in February of this year 2014 and has been doing pretty well, it is available worldwide. I run a Facebook page which went crazy popular and it has now got over 100,000 likes. I was approached by a publisher to write a book on the subject of Wicca which I did. I have been on benefits since being made redundant last March 2013. When my book was published I had a case worker who I saw regularly to help me get back into work and I asked her about the book and what I need to do and she said I shouldn't worry it is more a case of paying tax on it at the end of the year as long as my savings or earnings don't go past £6000. Well the book hasn't made £6000 yet I get a monthly payment from the publishers for royalties of the sales and e-book sales, it started out as about £600 but has now whittled down to about £250 a month. I am also on a work program called A4E which everyone knows about the book I even took a signed copy in for one of the advisers as she was interested in Wicca. I have always been totally open about the book with both the dole and A4E. I often told the person signing me on I had a book and they would say 'Oh good for you I will look it up' and nothing more said. Now I have been sent a Customer Compliance Interview letter and it has got me a bit worried. Also I have lived with a guy for about 20 years, just a joint tenant he is one of my oldest friends and neither can afford a place of our own, so we share. It has been brought up time and time again if we are living together as partners and after house visits they have been satisfied we are not partners. I am gay and he is straight. But he does not have a bank account so gets his wages or benefits or whatever money put into my account as it makes it easier because the rent and most house hold bills are paid direct debit from my account. I am worried as the Customer Compliance wants to see my bank statements that it will bring up the old are you living together as partners and especially with him using my bank account they may not believe we are not partners. I am very worried over this whole thing and don't know where I stand legally. Can I just not go to the interview and sign off if I can find a job quickly?

Just a quick update on the situation. The bailiff did come on Thursday at about 1:30 in the afternoon and only did a quick knock then left 4 different notices with the "24 hours to pay or good will be lifted" which I know is a crock of sh!t after reading the letter on this forum. I went to the citizens advice and they have made me an appointment for Wednesday to talk to some guy who is an expert on benefits, as the council are ignoring my letters I have sent, telling them that I was on benefits at the time they are charging me full council tax for, and I have asked them to investigate this to make sure they have their facts straight. I was told by the National debt helpline to try and get a DRO (debt relief order) this is like a mini bankruptcy, as I qualify for it, and this would abstain me from any debts I owe for a period of 12 months then the debts will be written off. I know my rights with the bailiff and I am not bothered by them any more, I have a few different options now and I am in a much better place than I was a week ago. Thank you guys for your help on this.

Thank you. You and all the people who help on this site are a god send to silly people like me who get ourselves into scrapes, Thanks again.

Thanks guys your a massive help I have had a knot in my stomach since this all started. How do I get my council tax account number, Thegreenpimpernel you said not to use my current council tax number I pay normally, will the council give me the one for the old council tax they are billing me for?

OK Thank you. I am pretty sure the money they have charged me for this council tax at that address is wrong, I was on benefits at the time I was receiving JSA and getting housing benefit and council tax benefit I am sure they have charged me full amount, I will have to speak to them about that. I am very nervous as the bailiff says he is coming in the morning, I am not going to answer the door or talk to him, as I want to send my letter to Jacobs first and try and sort things out with the council, is this wise do you think.

Hi Thegreenpimpernel It is the Newcastle City Council, I think they probably will have an online payment system they also have an automated phone payment system too, but I don't own a credit card to pay on it, also if I asked someone with a credit card to pay installments to the council and I gave the person the money for doing it, how would I get a receipt or proof that I had payed them anything and what the payment was for?

I have been looking at all the bailiff advice on the site and it has been very informative and I want to thank all that have contributed as it has really put my mind at ease, but I do have a few questions. I will tell you a bit about my situation. I was living at a house about 5 years ago and at the time I was receiving benefit. I had housing benefit paid and council tax benefit paid, so when my council tax letters where coming I thought they were just for my reference, like tax end year letters etc.. I didn't think I was liable to pay council tax. It has been almost 6 years since I lived at that address and I started getting council tax bills saying I owed over £1000 in council tax for the period I lived at this address, I spoke to the council about it and explained, and they continued to send me bills, I thought they will just forget about it it was so long ago but I realised the bills would not stop and I needed to sort it, so I sent them an offer of a monthly payment. They sent me a letter back almost a month after my offer of repayments and said it was to late and that they have sent my details to Jacobs, the councils firm of appointed bailiff for collection. I rang Jacobs to see if we could come to an arrangement to pay the money back in monthly instalments and they said the matter is being dealt with by a bailiff and to contact them directly so I rang the bailiff and he said he was coming to my house on Thursday and if I wanted to sort out monthly instalments with him I had to pay him £50 there and then and that he would need to come into the house to take a levvy of goods to base the instalments on. My questions are: I know I am not to let him in the house but, how do I actually pay back the money, if I ring Jacobs they tell me I must speak to the bailiff and the bailiff will not deal with me unless I let him in the property. I do not know how to pay this money off and I am very worried and just want to start a payment plan. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you.