Update: compliance telephone interview

ghallen
ghallen Community member Posts: 17 Listener
in Universal Credit (UC)
I had my compliance interview today. Got literally interrogated to tears by an extremely abrasive lady who was apparently 100% sure that I was committing benefit fraud. The reason for the interview was that my old telephone number now belongs to a person called Wayne which obviously means that I have a partner that I didn't inform the DWP about.

I was also informed that if I do not report changes to the DWP I will be sent to prison and that I should fix my mental health and get a job. 
Nice. 

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 59,054 Championing
    Hi,

    I'm sorry to hear you were interrogated that way. I hope you got her name and reported her for what she said to you, that's disgusting.
  • ghallen
    ghallen Community member Posts: 17 Listener
    I have her name, but I'm honestly terrified of reporting her. 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 59,054 Championing
    There's nothing to be afraid of. She she never have spoken to you the way she did, even if it will be your word against hers.

    Changing your telephone number doesn't mean you've committed benefit fraud, lots of people change their phone number for many reasons. Was it a landline number?
  • ghallen
    ghallen Community member Posts: 17 Listener
    I will look into it, thank you. 

    It was my mobile number. 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 59,054 Championing
    You're welcome. I'm assuming it was a pay as you go sim card, not a contract? When i've sold phones in the past i usually take out the sim card, not because of DWP but because people that you've given that mobile number to could ring or text that mobile number and personally, i wouldn't want that.
  • ghallen
    ghallen Community member Posts: 17 Listener
    It was a contract, but I closed my account and got a much cheaper Sim card deal without a contract. 

    I wasn't able to keep my old phone number unfortunately. 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 59,054 Championing
    Even so, i've sold a few phones over the years when i've upgraded or changed providers and i never ever let my sim card go with the phone.
  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 11,558 Online Community Programme Lead
    edited December 2019
    That sounds horrendous @ghallen. They certainly shouldn't have spoken to you like that and I hope you'll consider complaining.
    The phone number point is pretty ridiculous. It's not usually to do with the sim. Often phone providers re-use phone numbers, so if you've changed provider and not kept your number the number eventually goes back into circulation, to be assigned to somebody else. 
  • ghallen
    ghallen Community member Posts: 17 Listener
    I will think about complaining. I think I should because she told me that they had people outside my house taking pictures and it's made me paranoid about parked cars and people walking on the streets.
  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Scope Posts: 10,511 Championing
    Hi @ghallen, I am so sorry to hear this, what an awful experience! I really hope it can be quickly resolved. :)

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