DWP Invitation to office interview

[stigofthedump]

Hi everyone.

 

I am new to this site which I did not know existed until today and hope to be able to get some advice and contribute advice in the future.

 

My concern is that I have received a "Invitation to Office Interview" from Jobcentreplus Customer Compliance. The letter has been sent from Newlands JCP Customer Compliance Support Team in G43 area of Glasgow but the interview is at my local Jobcentre in Parkhead Glasgow. The letter is not hand signed.

 

As far as I am aware I am not doing / claiming anything wrong and only moved to this address as a lodger 6 months ago. Do I need to be worried about anything or any advice of what happens at this interview. I am on IS / HB (rent) and SDA but do not claim CTB as its my landlords responsibility.

 

Thank you for any pointers

Edited April 11, 2013 by stigofthedump
error

[Desperate Daniella]

Hi stigofthedump, and welcome to CAG!

 

It could be because SDA is being replaced by ESA, and they want to re-assess you.

 

That's the only thing I can think of.

 

DD

[stigofthedump]

Thank you DD.

 

Is there not a formal procedure for converting to ESA with forms etc rather than a interview? I have also been told by a not very helpful friend that I should not be getting SDA anymore as my housing status went from living on my own as an outright tenant to lodger status so technically not living on my own despite having no other connection with anyone in the property

 

thanks stig

[Desperate Daniella]

Hi stig,

 

I've heard both things - some people are getting forms and others are getting letters to attend an interview or medical assessment.

 

I can't advise on what your friend says, but if you have no connection with the others in the property I really can't see how they could be considered carers if that is what your friend is meaning.

 

I'm going to hit the triangle and see if someone on the site team can help you on this thread.

 

DD

[antone]

A Compliance interview can be for a number of things. Most commonly it would be a routine check or a minor change of circumstances. If they really thought you had done something wrong it would be the Fraud Team, not Compliance, who would contact you.

 

It's probably not related to the move from SDA to ESA, although I wouldn't swear to that. I presume by SDA you mean Severe Disablement Allowance, paid to you because you have a disability that has prevented you from working and paying enough NI to qualify for other contributory benefits like Incapacity Benefit? It is correct that this is being phased out and claimants gradually moved to ESA, but I doubt Compliance would be dealing with that.

 

If that's the case, your friend's advice is not correct. Your living situation does not affect your entitlement in that way. Perhaps the friend is thinking of the Severe Disability Premium, which can sometimes be paid to people on ESA and some other means tested benefits. This can be affected by the people you live with, but even then, merely being a lodger in someone else's property would not be an issue.

[stigofthedump]

Its amazing things like this can keep you awake - not a great nights sleep!!!

Edited April 12, 2013 by stigofthedump
error

[stigofthedump]

A Compliance interview can be for a number of things. Most commonly it would be a routine check or a minor change of circumstances. If they really thought you had done something wrong it would be the Fraud Team, not Compliance, who would contact you.

 

It's probably not related to the move from SDA to ESA, although I wouldn't swear to that. I presume by SDA you mean Severe Disablement Allowance, paid to you because you have a disability that has prevented you from working and paying enough NI to qualify for other contributory benefits like Incapacity Benefit? It is correct that this is being phased out and claimants gradually moved to ESA, but I doubt Compliance would be dealing with that.

 

If that's the case, your friend's advice is not correct. Your living situation does not affect your entitlement in that way. Perhaps the friend is thinking of the Severe Disability Premium, which can sometimes be paid to people on ESA and some other means tested benefits. This can be affected by the people you live with, but even then, merely being a lodger in someone else's property would not be an issue.

 

Thank you Antone - I will just have to wait and see. Its next Wed 15th April so I will post back on here the outcome

Stig

[stigofthedump]

Hi stig,

 

I've heard both things - some people are getting forms and others are getting letters to attend an interview or medical assessment.

 

I can't advise on what your friend says, but if you have no connection with the others in the property I really can't see how they could be considered carers if that is what your friend is meaning.

 

I'm going to hit the triangle and see if someone on the site team can help you on this thread.

 

DD

 

Thanks DD for your reply. What is the triangle? Sorry new to this. Im trying to not get stressed about this but its not easy with all sorts going through my head.

stig

[Guest]

its Monday then....the 15th? fgs don't miss it.

[stigofthedump]

its Monday then....the 15th? fgs don't miss it.

 

Ruby your an angel - just checked its Wed 17th 12.30and not Monday. 12.30 emm...so hope they are waiting to go for lunch - my heads already busting

 

stig

[Guest]

awww wishing the best for you and hoping its nothing much......x

[Desperate Daniella]

Hi stig,

 

Don't apologize! I didn't know about the triangle for months.

 

The triangle is for reporting abuse, but you can also use it to alert a site member that you need some help. Different site members have knowledge about different problems. I didn't know enough to advise you, so I asked on your behalf for someone who could.

 

Good luck next Wednesday. We'll hope to hear positive news from you that afternoon.

 

DD

[**Margaret**]

:stig of the dump:

 

Whatever else Customer Compliance want to interview you about, it won't concern whether your severe disablement allowance can be converted to an award of employment n support allowance. The first thing you'll know about that, is a letter from Jobcentreplus followed by a phone call (assuming Jobcentreplus have an up to date phone number for you). Whether or not they manage to contact you by phone, the next stage of the process is an ESA50 questionnaire about your capability for work. Some info about reassessment;

 

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/ib-reassessment-information-pack.pdf

 

So, what's the interview about? Probably a routine check that everything's as it should be with your claim, or possibly a check that your benefits are correct for your living arrangements.

 

Nothing to lose over, Margaret.

[estellyn]

Compliance interviews can be just a random check - ie your claim can be randomly picked by computer for a check.

[stigofthedump]

Compliance interviews can be just a random check - ie your claim can be randomly picked by computer for a check.

 

Thanks x

Edited April 12, 2013 by antone
Fixed quote tags - content not changed

[stigofthedump]

Well I had my interview today and I am gobsmacked to say the least. I used to rent a property a few years back and the owner, unknown to me was Gay. I had no problem with his sexuality etc as I have a nephew who is also gay and he and his friends are nice people. Anyway, 3 years ago somebody reported me as living as a couple. Now I am a divorced man with 3 children and 6 grandchildren. I still talk to my ex wife and had a female partner until she died 4 years ago. I was interviewed then and it transpired that my ex brother in law who is a total mess had fallen out with my sister over the children and he has stalked her, locked the kids with himself in his flat and refused to give them back. Well at the same time he tried to chat my daughter up on facebook and I stopped him. Anyway he started bad mouthing everyone and accused me of being gay and having an affair with my landlord. This went on and on and every 6 months he goes off on one. Anyway I moved away from the area and todays Interview was to discuss the same thing asking me the same questions even though I am in Glasgow now and not Motherwell. The guy was polite but just appeared to be going over the same thing even quoting my answers from the Motherwell interview. He said he was ok with things and that was the matter closed as far as he was concerned but couldn't rule out me being called in again. He said as they had no proof of who had tipped them off I had no legal redress to stop that person being malicious.

 

Why are some people intent on causing grief. Now I feel bad being a lodger in a shared house in case it affects others unwittingly

[Desperate Daniella]

That is just dreadful. You poor thing.

 

I just don't know what to say. Others may have advice.

 

What a truly rotten individual. There are some absolutely B******s around.

 

Glad at least that you have it sorted out, and as you've faced the same allegations twice and told them exactly the same thing twice if they have any sense they won't take any further tip offs about your living as a couple seriously.

[Guest]

That is awful. some people really are nasty. Shame there is no proof of who made the allegation as this is surely malicious, and to be fair the dwp should be treating it as such with no real evidence. I would have thought they had better things to do following up cases with evidence, and not just now and again when some anonymous person decides to report the same thing.

[stigofthedump]

That is just dreadful. You poor thing.

 

I just don't know what to say. Others may have advice.

 

What a truly rotten individual. There are some absolutely B******s around.

 

Glad at least that you have it sorted out, and as you've faced the same allegations twice and told them exactly the same thing twice if they have any sense they won't take any further tip offs about your living as a couple seriously.

 

Thanks DD - the questions that got me are on the lines of are you friends with anyone you share with? Have you ever socialised together? Have you ever been on holiday together? Do you go shopping together? What is this all about!!!!! You hear of people especially who decide to share for economical and companionship reasons but not as a couple.

stig

[stigofthedump]

That is awful. some people really are nasty. Shame there is no proof of who made the allegation as this is surely malicious, and to be fair the dwp should be treating it as such with no real evidence. I would have thought they had better things to do following up cases with evidence, and not just now and again when some anonymous person decides to report the same thing.

 

Thanks Ruby - I have to laugh otherwise it makes me angry. I was talking to a friend who had a similar experience and he said proving two or more people who share a property might be a couple is hard regardless of gender

stig

[Guest]

am not being funny but a lot of people who share a house or flat are friends, or grow as friends and may well socialise. its ridiculous.

[jabba jones]

and as you've faced the same allegations twice and told them exactly the same thing twice if they have any sense they won't take any further tip offs about your living as a couple seriously.

 

They didn't take it seriously. That's why it was a Compliance interview.

 

All allegations are looked at & if there's no evidence they are down graded to Compliance to take a statement.

[Desperate Daniella]

So poor stig has to get a letter which worries him and go in for an interview every time there is an allegation, because they have to be seen to investigate it even if they have done it before and know it is rubbish?

 

There should be a limit to the number of times they can investigate one person on the strength of anonymous tip offs which are saying exactly the same thing.

[antone]

There should be a limit to the number of times they can investigate one person on the strength of anonymous tip offs which are saying exactly the same thing.

 

I do actually agree with this. Not sure how it would work in practice, but falsely (and anonymously) reporting people for benefit fraud seems to be a common way to harass these days.

[estellyn]

I do actually agree with this. Not sure how it would work in practice, but falsely (and anonymously) reporting people for benefit fraud seems to be a common way to harass these days.

 

yes, I dealt with lots of cases which were due to malicious accusations. The difficulty with LT accusations is that though it can be won at Tribunal, the stress and trauma caused by the malicious accusation is horrendous.