benefit police

[tommy-h]

Advice please.I am looking forward to a home visit from the pensions and benefit agency on the morrow.this has arisen because my P.O.account where I hide my stash of ill gotten gains has exceeded some limit or other.First inclination of this was letter from housing benefit informing me of overpayments-immediately repaid and council tax rebate-also repaid.Thing is,I know ignorance is no defence but I should have known there is a cutoff point fot income support-not clearly explained in their letters.I am in receipt of disability payments direct to P.O. acc. but due to difficulties with mobility don`t get to the P.O. to check on the acc. as often as I would like.Only get quarterly statements.Anyway having repaid H.B.and C.T. am I liable for any other overpayments.

Thanx as always

[jackthehat]

If you have been overpaid, they will expect you to repay it but they will need to calculate by how much and advise you of the sum, but this will be explained to you on your visit.

[jackthehat]

*If you have been overpaid by any of the benefits for which you are in receipt...

[tommy-h]

Thank you for your quick response Jack but letter is quite threatening and mentions criminal proceedings

[jackthehat]

They always do.
If your case is 'genuine' and you can convince them that it is, they are not unreasonable people.
As you have already paid back your debt to your Council, you now will find out what benefit payments have been overpaid.....but certain ones are subject to a 'savings ceiling' and others aren't. Let them calculate what you owe and come to an arrangement with them.
Contrition, honesty and a willingness to be as helpful to them as possible are the best things to offer them.

Best of luck.

[SkellieMonster]

They have to mention the possibility of Criminal Proceedings just in case you've fiddled them out of 35p and refuse to pay it back!

On the other hand, it may be that you've had some money that you haven't declared, a bequest, or money for something you've sold don't have a place on the list, unless it's a recurrent item, like you knitting tea-cosies and selling them.

And I think we're all too aware of the illegal trade in tea-cosies! :-)

[tommy-h]

No illegal tea cosies here,just answered the usual questions on their questionnaire-maybe missed a q by accident but told them where my benefits where placed-shortly after got letter,they obviously have access to P.O.account details.

[sara3]

I assume your visit is from the DWP.. pensions people or fraud? are you being interviewed under caution?

the DWP can find out about capital as a lovely computer dishes out documents announcing how much interest you've had for a certain period, an indicator of how much capital you may have. the DWP can then order a thorough search of any accounts you (or a dependant partner) may have. they will most likely already know all about your ill-gotten gains.. and if they're very ill-gotten, you might just lose them if they're subject to the Proceeds of Crime Act.

obviously I have no idea what precisely you've done or how much you've stashed, over what period!

[daffy654]

DLA is a non-taxable benefit so it shoudn't affect the amount of income support you are entitled to. Is it just that you haven't spent the disability benefit and your savings have exceeeded the amount you are allowed under the claiming rules for IS

[chrissa1]

Good luck tommy-h. I applied for help back in April and I still haven't heard back from them. I wonder how long it takes.

[tommy-h]

Interview just concluded,very nice people,not under caution or taped-may receve letter about repayments at some future date.Having repaid overpayments I would then be entitled to future income support-is it only me or does anyone else see where this is going.It appears the DWP has access to all info re savings.I went above the threshold in 09 and now they get me.Advised to spend but can`t fit a swimming pool into my 13th floor flat.Best wishes and thanx for all the support esp daff.chrissa it takes a while but when they get their act together it can be embarassing how much they throw at you.oh and thanx jth

[razza]

If you look like going over savings threshold,no need to spend.Withdraw and stash the cash.

[sara3]

which can obviously be traced, razza.

[clokey]

How can they trace cash ?

[sara3]

if it's been withdrawn from an account they can ask what happened to it.

[tommy-h]

Which is exactly what they did ask=money withdrawn to repay housing ben and council tax overpayments