Compliance officer telephone interview universal credit dwp dfc benefits

lu_luu30

Hello for the attention of anyone really or people who have also experienced this or somthing similar .

Monday I received a UC letter attached to my journal stating that Thursday(today) I would receive a phone call from a compliance officer to discusss my Benefit (UC) .

I have now had this phone call (this morning) I had convinced myself that after this phone call I would recover my mental state back to its usual not good state but better than what it’s been for the past few days since seeing the letter attached to my (UC) journal . But I have been left numb for the last 4 hours since the phone call and feeling mentally defeated altogether .

A bit of relevant background to myself so this makes sense, I have always worked always earned my own money and bought my own things I have never had wealth but I had a comfortable life up until I lost myself to mental and physical health problems (past 5 years) .

I was forced out of my job due to my health issues, for example needing to go to a doc appointment I wasn’t allowed . My health had become so bad mentally and physically I had to resign due to how difficult my work life was being made for me . I chose myself I chose to live of my savings and give myself priority and try and get on top of my health again before returning to employment . I decided to return to employment shortly after taking my break I started employment in a totally new job with no connection to the last but I realised a few weeks in I should not have returned to employment so soon and once again found myself severely unwell . I left employment and continued on jobless whilest trying to see doctors etc for my various health problems.

some time after this I once again thought about employment but was scared of entering back into employment so I went to my local job centre and acquired the safety net of a job coach and universal credit I told my job coach everything that had happened in the past and where I was at mentally and physically and I felt so supported and safe . Fast forward a few months we enter the pandemic my job coach was no longer accessible the management of my health problems had completely changed and my life had once again turned upside down , during the pandemic my health hit an all time low I was on 3 different waiting lists for 3 different consultants and I required an operation and several other procedures daily life had become being bed bound . I was providing universal credit with sick notes and then I was assessed as not needing to look for work .

Please Be aware I entered the benefits system with no money and in hope of finding a job and getting my life back on track . Fast forward to now I live with my parents I’m single and I still have Numourous health problems that I’m waiting on treatment for still and my mental health is terrible, I don’t leave the house, I dont talk to anyone, I have no social media footprint and when I say know one knows anything about me I mean it anyone reading this knows more about me, iv always seen myself as a bit of burden so iv chose to live a very private life also my health gives me no option .

So why I have said the above today my phone rings it’s an compliance officer I don’t do well with talking never mind to strangers but I understand the importance of this phone call so I answered , main question im hit with is they have received information to indicate I don’t live where I say I live . How this information has come about I don’t understand I have lived in the same home all my life my parents brought me home here to this house/address as a new born baby and here I am still . My passport, my drivers license,my NI,my car insurance everything that is a form of identification is also all addressed to this house . I have never used a different address or lived at a different address . I’m baffled but I’m answering what needs answered we move away from the house questions to what cars do I own (this is the biggest part of the interview that completely through me) I currently have 2 cars in my name I had to state how I bought them and when I bought them and why I bought them . 1 car is currently sorned and not in a drivable condition so I don’t even use it, the other is insured and taxed by me and is rarely used as I no longer drive unless I really have to . I have owned both these vehicles for atlest 6 years and they where bought with my own money when I was employed long before I entered the benefits system . I’m baffled totally how what cars I own has anything to do with UC . The last questions was about finances wich was fair enough for I know having savings etc can affect UC I have no savings . The way this conversation was portrayed to me it was like someone had reported me for not being truthful about where I lived and if that is the case ok I confirmed where I lived we move on, even tho why someone would feel the need to report me for anything when know one knows anything about my life my health or even that I’m on Benefits, But someone somewhere must feel they do know me well enough to go and contact the dwp/dfc about me.(karma will do her job on whoever that is or was)

My main issue with this phone call is the car questions I just don’t understand why I have been asked what I have been asked or how they even need to know about my cars . What Relevance is what car you have or own or drive anything to do with UC .

Before the conversation ended with the officer I asked about really what was all this about as I’m so confused and don’t understand what iv even done wrong there was no definitive answer to my question other than they have received information that required them to reach out , like did someone lift the phone and give them information did their computer give them this information the more I think about it , it just seems crazy .

I feel so saddened by what our country as a whole has become, how so many people have been let down by the government etc in so many ways weather it be health, benefits or safety. What a mess all of it is and I truely feel defeated . If you made it this far thanks for reading if anyone has had a similar interaction with a compliance office please respond or even any info at all . Thanks .

Rosie_Scope

Hi @lu_luu30, welcome to the community. I'm sorry this has happened to you. There are lots of checks going on at the moment with Universal Credit and they can feel quite intrusive. It's never nice to have a stranger digging about in your life, and I'm sorry you're feeling the impact of it all.

For the car questions it might be to help them establish that you're not hiding or deliberately reducing your savings to stay entitled to the benefit by spending money on cars. I'm by no means saying that you are doing this, but it might be a possible reason for them to ask. It's really difficult to say exactly why they'd ask so many questions about your cars, but I hope some of our other members might be able to share their experiences of this too.

Have you heard about the outcome of your compliance interview? Fingers crossed it's all over quickly.

lu_luu30

many thanks for your reply Rosie_scope , I understand that and they are likely interested in them as you say to establish I’m not over the savings criteria or using their money to buy cars but I just felt it was so strange and everything was so irrelevant but it is what it is . My health is so easily impacted by the smallest things in life and to me this is just such a big thing feeling like I am being doubted etc .
The phone call ended with the lady typing up a statement of what was discussed and disclosed within the interview and to confirm I understood everything I asked at the end what was my next steps and she really didn’t make it clear as to what was next or if anything will be next she just sort of said she’s happy with everything so I persume this is the end of it unless somthing else is said against me or flagged for whatever reason I also offered at the end of the conversation to give evidence to back up everything I said and that I had no problem leaving it into my local uc centre or wherever needed, but she said for now there is no need, so I’m presuming it’s as good as case closed .
The thing is I’m so self aware when it comes to things in life and I like to do things as right and as genuine as I can so I never run into problems or get into a situation that I don’t want to be in I have walked on egg shells all my life often feeling like I am in the wrong or I’m going to get into trouble for whatever reason i have grew up with a narcissist for a mother and I have no1 in my life to share any of this with or to navigate me through the situation or give me some reassurance .

I think the hardest part of it all is to thing that someone has decided to actually make a complaint about me or give information about me I cut ties with a lot of people when my health declined and I have no “friends” it’s just beyond me to think that anyone knows anything about my life enough to warrant them passing over untrue malicious information .

Having severe anxiety and compliance calls don’t mix for all my brain is stuck on is what if , what now ,what next , who , what , where ,when, why ? Even though I know there is no direct answers to these procedures but my brain feels there should be .

Rosie_Scope

That's totally understandable @lu_luu30 I've had some similar experiences to you, I've felt like I'm in the wrong a lot of the time and it can be totally gutting to feel like you've done something bad when you've tried your best to be genuine all the way through.

It's hard to understand why these things happen or why someone might have suggested that you're living somewhere else too, so I can understand why that must be going around in your head at the moment.

Have you found anything has helped ease your anxiety in the past? Is there anything you might be able to do to help distract yourself even just for a little while so you can get some rest from it?

I really hope things start feeling easier for you soon.

OneSunnyDay1

Sorry to hear what happened lu_luu, they seem to asking alot of people alot of questions lately even ones that do not to have any relevance. Try not to believe that someone has contacted them regarding you because they could just be making that up. They make stuff up when they feel like it, it seems. Check out my post called

Weird Nonsense Silly and Even Stupid Questions PIP or WCA Assessors have asked

You will see they say all sorts of things to everyone, and some of it might even make you laugh at how ridiculous they are. Take care of yourself x

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/124422/weird-nonsense-silly-and-even-stupid-questions-pip-or-wca-assessors-have-asked