DWP Compliance telephone interview

[Sparkleon]

Received a letter this morning saying i'll be receiving a phone call this Thursday for a telephone interview.

 

Says if I do not answer when they call, they will stop my benefits.

 

I'm guessing its about a change in circumstances?

 

It says please see below for a list of information you will need to refer to during this interview. bank statements, savings, private pensions, earnings, property and immigration status.

 

I am a single parent with 2 boys,

 

One I receive high rate care and low rate mobility DLA for.

 

I'm a full time student at university and I am living on tax credits, a bit of housing benefit and student maintenance loans.

 

I called all benefit people when I started uni and told them that I wanted to stop my claim.

 

Carers allowance paid me for 3 weeks which they said was normal. But income support kept paying me different amounts.

 

When I rang and told them that they were still paying me, they said it was to do with the system and that it would stop. It did but not till November time.  Do you think it could be because of that?

 

I also challenged the housing benefit people as they were charging me bedroom tax for 5 years. I won and got a pay-out back which was about £3000 i think

 

I had a small job back in February this year, working 8 hours a week maximum and it was temporary for 2.5 months to cover a maternity leave.

 

The max amount of money I earned from working there was a little over £300. 

 

My anxiety is ridiculous since receiving this letter and I've had a migraine all day.

 

I hate that i'll have to wait 6 days!

[dx100uk]

You'll find numerous threads here regarding these calls 

 

Nothing as scary as you think, just be honest and truthful.

 

Dx

[honeybee13]

Hello, welcome to CAG.

 

Have a read around our Benefits forum and you'll see that Compliance is rarely as scary as it sounds. From what you say there's a simple explanation for the discrepancy and you've tried to tell them. Sometimes they're checking that you're claiming everything you're entitled.

 

All you can do is to be honest and explain what's happened.

Best, HB

 

 

[unclebulgaria67]

They normally ask for Bank statements for a relevant period. That might offer a clue about what they are interested in.

 

If you have received any lump sum amounts into your Bank such as the student maintenance, then this may have triggered an alert. And they are checking whether you now have money or earnings you have not disclosed.

 

The other possibility is that someone has phoned benefit fraud line, as they somehow think you have living standards beyond someone in receipt of benefits.

 

Nothing to worry about, if you have nothing to hide.

[Sparkleon]

On the letter there is no date or anything. They arent requesting bank statements of a specific time or anything like that. I suppose I'll just have to wait till Thursday and try not to stress. 

Edited October 23, 2022 by dx100uk
unnecessary previous post quote removed

[unclebulgaria67]

DWP are reviewing 2 million UC claims taken out since Covid in March 2020. The reason for this, is that normally people would have had to show documents in Job Centres, but because of Covid, could not do so.

 

  As there are too many people to see in Job Centres now to review these claims, they are instead holding telephone interviews. These interviews are to check the claims are on the correct basis.

[Sparkleon]

I'm not in receipt of Universal Credits. I get tax credits and a little bit of housing benefit. 

Edited October 23, 2022 by dx100uk
unnecessary previous post quote removed

[unclebulgaria67]

Did you apply for benefits during the main covid period March 2020 to August 2021 ?

 

Trying to understand them asking for a broad range of information.

 

Perhaps it is because you might be better off claiming Universal Credit. Have you used an online benefits calculator to work out which benefits best match your current circumstances?  

[Sparkleon]

I'm a student so i'd be worse off on universal credit. About £500 a month worse off. 

And no, I havent applied for any new benefits. Just did change of circumstances. 

Edited October 23, 2022 by dx100uk
unnecessary previous post quote removed

[unclebulgaria67]

@Sparkleon

 

Is there a former partner who is parent of the children who may have claimed a benefit including the children ?

 

 

[Sparkleon]

There is a former partner (my sons dad) hasnt been in the picture for about 10 years though. 

Edited October 23, 2022 by dx100uk
unnecessary previous post quote removed