Yes and he is absolutely doing this. I was just thrown by the comment above that said that because he has it in an account it means I need to declare now as I can access it. But I very much can't. My brother has been amazing throughout the whole thing sorting everything out and I am so grateful to him for that as know it can't have been easy on his own. Still hugely fretting about the DWP will view my over-spending, but they can see from my history of DRO etc that struggling with this is not a new thing. I really hope they can take that into account and not be too judgemental . But know from experience that it can often come down to who you speak to on the end of the phone and who is assigned to your case.

I haven't changed the story but the situation changed as there was this bigger payment to process. My brother still technically has access as in the bank account is in his name but has been advised that he should not touch the money yet or transfer anything until the accounts are all settled. Please don't try to make out I am twisting things. I am confused by the whole ins and outs of the process as my brother has been sorting it all out.

This is incorrect. To explain, there was one payment that was above a certain amount so my brother had to access it by way of a solicitor. She told him that he could not touch the money until everything was paid in, and some payments were made out for example to my dad's credit cards etc. We are waiting for her say so as to when he can take control and give me my porton. Thank you to everyone who has replied. I am terrified tbh and been avoiding coming back here as was worried as to what people might think of me.

Yeah I'd be fine just paying the loan in installments as agreed. But I want to clear my credit cards asap as they are all high interest. I paid of some with the loan but not all. Also will my overdraft being wiped be counted? I probably wouldn't be able to take a big holiday because of my health, and my cat.! But just somewhere in Europe for a while to get away from this place and all my bad associations. Thank you for your reply. I felt nervous putting this out there.

Hi, Just looking for some advice as am fretting hugely and feeling a bit confused by the rules. To explain as simply as I can... I am currently in receipt of high rate DLA and income related ESA in the support group. I was awarded both of these at reassessment without any difficulty and wasn't even called to a medical for my ESA. I have been on these benefits for a long time and have also been on housing benefit for about two years since I moved into my own flat. I suffer from mental health difficulties including a long term eating disorder and type 1 diabetes which means my physical health is also very poor. I struggle with extreme spending which has been the case for some time. I have mental health issues and I particularly struggle during the evening times when feeling low. I tend to click click click on websites and buy things I do not need, sometimes parcels arrive and I am not even sure of what on earth I have ordered. By extension my eating disorder is anorexia with binge/purging subtype and the amount I spend on food is disgusting, which has been the case for the past 15 years. In October last year I was seriously sexually assaulted and a week later my dad died. This sent me into a spiral of even worse mental health and excessive spending. I try to return things but don't always manage to, and you obviously cannot return food. But I also have a pile of clothes that I've never even worn. I took out a DRO in 2009 because I had racked up so much debt on credit and store cards. This honestly saved me for 6 years as I could not obtain credit, but after it was lifted I managed about a year until I started applying for high interest credit cards and now have a stack of them which I have been trying to keep up with the minimum payments for. A month ago I took out a loan from natwest to try and consolidate these debts a bit and reduce my overdraft which was costing me around £80-90 a month in interest fees. My brother and I are waiting for an inheritance from my father. There was no will and no need for probate as my father rented, so my brother has had to sort everything out. I am not quite sure how much we will have but it will certainly be above the 6k threshold. Currently it is sat in an account my brother opened but when everything is finalised he will transfer half of that money to me. I am so scared that the DWP are going to class my spending as deprivation of capital. I really, really want to pay off all my debts including my loan because the interest on everything is so high and having that debt looming over me is a major stress. But will they allow me to do this? I imagine the loan may be regarded with some scepticism as it was recently taken out, but I was literally desperate and in a situation where I was going to be unable to pay my rent (yes despite the HB payments), I am thinking of ways I can protect myself. I'd perhaps like to have my mother take care of a proportion of the money in a savings account that I cannot touch. If I blow through the inheritance with my recklessness then I will never forgive myself. The only thing I really want to do is go on holiday, health permitting. I have not been out of this country for about 10 years and feel a break would do me some good. But again, will the DWP permit this? Furthermore, what if I wanted to use some of the money to access some private healthcare; therapy or maybe even a short hospital stay to try and get a hold on my eating behaviours? Obviously this could help me towards better mental health and I'd like to think that some day I might be well enough to begin some part time work, which would ultimately be beneficial for both the governments purse as well as myself. The other thing I am worried about is the whole showing receipts and bank statements, the idea of which I find humiliating largely due to my food expenditure. I found this quite distressing during the DRO claim process. How much scrutiny do they place you under exactly? I know it is different for everyone but what is the most likely scenario I will face? I need to ring the DWP soon and I am so anxious about it. I hate making phone calls as it is and don't know where to start/how to explain. Any advice is much appreciated. Please don't think I want to defraud in any way, I just want to do the right thing. Thank you.

I just wanted to say I also suffer from an eating disorder and have run into similar (well, much worse) trouble because of this, and I sympathise completely. You were cleary not acting rationally when you did this. I know how terrifying being caught is. Please try to be gentle with yourself and not worry, it will all be fine. & yes do make sure you get some extra support for your ED if you can. xx

Surely it is too late? I am due in court tomorrow"!

Nobody??? Should I be pleading guilty or not guilty, even? Does 'guilty' basically mean you did it or does it imply specific intent that may be questionable in my case? I have no idea what to say and know I should have prepared morebut head has just been a complete mess lately .

Anyone? Just need to know what to expect at court and how it will all play out as have no idea and am terrified .

No, no civil loss recovery was involved. As I said the first time I knew of this was a telephone-call to my home address. I will pm that in a second. What I haven't mentioned is (thought I did mention this in OP but see I did not) that alongside the eating disorder I have I am a type one diabetic and my blood sugars were also low at the time of the offence (all linked with my eating disorder, it's all very complicated I guess) which added to the depersonalisation as I'd descrive it. I mentioned this to the officer and said the whole thing was a blur and that I knew what I was doing within that blur, but I was not fully aware or in touch with reality, if that makes sense. I was scared whern I got home and realised exactly what I'd taken again.

Thank you. I really don't want to be seen as using it as an excuse, but it IS a reason. Both for the fact I was in the supermarket in the first place feeling desperate/on auto-pilot and the fact that medically I was quite unwell at the time of the incident, it's two fold really. I know if I was well I would not have ended up in such a situation, I wouldn't feel a need to get hold of all those food items in the first place and I also wouldn't be putting myself in danger physically to the point where my judgement is compromised.

That's great, thanks so much honeybee!

Just another update and call for a bit of extra advice if possible. Thanks again to those that have been so supportive so far throughout this. To address past reply: firstclass - the caution was quite recent, within the past 6 months but was dealt with under another police constabulary. I didn't read your comment before going to the interview so I did admit it was me but I was a bit vague as to guilty/not guilty as in my mind I was guilty of the offence BUT I didn't go into the store intending to steal and was not in my right mind at the time. I explained this. Also, I did not have a solicitor as was told on the phone by the policeman before I went in that if I wanted a solicitor I would have had to travel to another police station many miles away from my home, or if not I could just do it locally on my own, so of course I went with the local option as there was no way of me getting to the other place (I don't drive.) So the option of having a solicitor was sort of taken out of my hands really! After going to the police station and being interviewed 'on paper' i.e. with no recording, I explained what happened, said I was very sorry. The officer said I would have to wait to hear whether the case would still be pursued in light of my statement or not. Again, a long wait. I was expecting a phone call but there wasn't one. Yet a letter arrived last week. Court summons for the 1st November for shoplifting 'goods of an unknown amount...' from the supermarket in question. When I spoke to the police officer at the station he was very kind and quite sympathetic to my situation. I think it's quite obvious that I am not a malicious person or someone that was out for their own gain or profit through criminal means. I clearly look quite ill too which I am sure does work in my favor although it is not something intentional, that is just the reality of my situation. he said that if it did go to court (to be honest I think he thought it wouldn't, but seems the supermarket are adamant for a result ) it would probably be pretty routine and lenient. Still, of course I am scared. I've never stood up in court before. What will happen? What can I expect? I am so worried about speaking as struggle as it is with public speaking of any sort. Worried I will burst into tears as soon as I get in there tbh and I don't want to appear like I am putting stuff like that on, you know? I know I have to face this. I wish I didn't have to, want to just hide and not go at all, pretend I never received the letter but know that will make everything so much worse in the long run. Please, anyone who has been through this or has an idea as to what might happen, i'd appreciate your response so much right now. One thing I specifically want to know is: will the fact I have a previous caution for shoplifting on my record etc (very similar circumstances, being food items and being unwell heh) be brought up in court or be used against me? Thanks again in advance to anyone who reads/responds. xxx

Thank you so so much for your response and reassurance, it seriously does means a lot. You've helped me feel a little better about things for sure. Just want tomorrow to be over with now. I'll let you know how it goes x

Thank you very much for your reply. Unfortunately I do have to go to the police station for an interview. He said it could all 'be done on paper' so I won't have to go in a cell or anything, so he will be just asking me some questions. He said they have all the CCTV and everything. I can't help but feel terrified. & self destructive, I am so so angry at myself. Is he going to make me watch the CCTV? I don't think I can bear it. If I get a caution this will be my second caution . **** I am such a disgusting idiot.

UPDATE Okay I knew it was too good to be true that I hadn't heard a peep. Had a message left on the phone today from the same police station but a different officer, gave his reference number and asked me to call him as he needs to speak to me. Didn't say much more than that. I am so scared and am going to have to call tomorrow, am dreading it so much and feel totally sick to my stomach. Any advice on what I should say/not say/do? Are they going to ask me to go to the station?

I really don't know. I was shocked to be honest that they were so forthcoming with telling my mum information seeing as she was not me. I also can only presume they knew my name from the info connected to either my debit card or nectar card. Like I said they originally thought I'd stolen my mums car as looked up the registration and found a car in her name, not mine. I have heard absolutely nothing since this mysterious phone call. But I am so scared ever time the phone rings or the post-man comes, and also that the police are suddenly going to turn up here. It's making me really anxious and paranoid. God I am such an idiot . Thanks again for the replies.

Thank you so much. I hope you are right. I haven't had a phone call yet today (as of 3pm, but mobile was off all morning, no voicemail messages or anything though either). I am thinking though that maybe they were most concerned by the fact they thought I'd stolen my mums car! But now they know that is not the case perhaps they will send a letter to me rather than call, I don't know? Still really nervous that they might just turn up at the house or something though . Thankfully I am going away tomorrow for a few days so that will help with the anxiety I think, just to get away for a bit. Thanks again. Your reply has reassured me somewhat and I really have been freaking out, hardly slept last night.

I really need some help and some advice on what to do asap. Thank you in advance to anyone who replies. I am desperate right now. I am in the UK. Been out tonight. Got home and my mum told me she'd had a phonecall from the police. It is regarding a shoplifting offence that I have previously committed and thought I got away with. It was groceries. I am not going to go into details of why because it won't help right now but it's not the first time and I had a caution just a few weeks ago - I know, I know, please a lecture isn't goign to help, I know how wrong I am. at the time I did worry that they had seen me and it was late at night and they obviously took my mums registration number and this is how they have got into contact these weeks later. I didn't speak to the policewoman obviously but she is apparently going to ring me tomorrow to discuss this. What do I do? What do I say? What is going to happen to me? If I have to go to the police station again I don't think I could cope with it all. I know I need to not do this again. I have a very severe eating disorder which is the root of all this but I KNOW it isn't an excuse. They would be able to see by cctv that I am quite ill though appearance wise, but I don't think it will make a jot of difference really as like I said this isn't the first time and I should have learnt my bloody lesson by now. I hate myself. But I need to know what to say on the phone. Whether to admit it or say I can't remember or what/ I just don't know. I am scared. Please help. & please don't judge I can't deal with it. Can't believe this is happening. Apparently they actually thought i'd stolen my mums car or something and she had to explain that no, she bought me shopping but did not know I had stolen, I used the self serve checkouts and just didn't pay for a lot of stuff. Like I said it was late at night and they had no security around. Thank you for reading.