Compliance Telephone Interview — Scope | Disability forum
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

Compliance Telephone Interview

MerthyrMaurader
MerthyrMaurader Community member Posts: 19 Connected
Hi all
After nearly 2 years of battling to get pip I won my tribunal and received my back payment last week.My monthly payments haven't even started yet but today I got a compliance Telephone interview through the post.
Can anyone tell me what this is about and what to expect. 
This is stressing me out as I thought all this nonsense was behind me. M Marauder. 

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi,

    Sometimes they do random checks on people to make sure they are claiming the correct benefits.

    You will need to ring the number on the letter and ask what it's about and they should hopefully be able to tell you more information. It's impossible to even guess what it could be about.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • MerthyrMaurader
    MerthyrMaurader Community member Posts: 19 Connected
    Hi poppy
    Thanks for quick response
    Last week the dwp sent me a form severe disability premium. 
    I never asked or applied for it but they sent it anyway. I took no notice and never sent it back. They then smsed me asking me to phone them which I did and filled the form in via the phone. 
    I'm wondering if they r querying some of the details I supplied. For instance they asked did I live alone and I replied yes because I do but my son uses my address for bank details because he works abroad. Is this possible.
    I never applied for this and have been totally honest. 
    MM 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    Yes, it could be because of that and it may have flagged up but i'm only guessing here.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • MerthyrMaurader
    MerthyrMaurader Community member Posts: 19 Connected
    OK poppy
    Thanks for your time
    Regards 
    MM
  • MerthyrMaurader
    MerthyrMaurader Community member Posts: 19 Connected
    Hi all
    An update on my compliance interview
    I phoned the number they gave me and spoke to a very arrogant lady who told me I'd been reported for going on an exotic holiday and I obviously couldn't be as bad as I made out and therefore cheating the system. 
    My wife is South African and lives there and is really ill and I needed to go there. My mental health people advised me to go as I was extremely anxious and totally stressed. After much debate I finally gathered the courage and she booked the flight. It was horrendous.
    The time I spent there was a nightmare and various visits to doctors specialists and hospital appointments ensued. It was no holiday believe me and far from exotic but at least it was hot. 
    People should mind they're own business and don't involve themselves with things they don't know anything about. 
    I received a warning off the dwp who said if it happened again they would stop my benefits. 
    What do I do if my wife needs me again because she will and is getting worse. 
    This is putting extra stress on me which I can do without. 
    Regards
    Merthyr Maurader
  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    This is a shocking and as you say people cannot mind their own business, the greeneyed monster comes out often when you are on benefits. Although this was not a vacation, there is no reason why you cannot take a holiday, to any destination, although there are limits on how long you can be out of the country.
    May I suggest that you seek trained help from CAB or similar, it might be a simple matter of informing the DWP before you have to go again but you do not need the additional stress when your wife needs you
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • MerthyrMaurader
    MerthyrMaurader Community member Posts: 19 Connected
    Yes your right but there's 2 different versions. Dwp told me today when I queried it that as they supply the housing benefit to my local council that I have to tell them and I can only have one block of 4 weeks per year. I went to the council and they said the maximum I can stay out of the country is 4weeks but its unlimited as long I come back to UK after every 4 week period. Each insists theyre right and I'm stuck in the middle. So if I go to SA again I have to leave after 4 weeks no matter what and however bad my wife is. There is no flexibility on this because I asked them.
    I can feel the stress and anxiety rising up already. 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    edited June 2019
    For ESA you're allowed to be out of the country for a maximum of 4 weeks each time. There's no rules about how many times a year you can go. However, there is a 26 week rule for being out of the country which you do need to be aware of. I'd speak to your local CAB regarding this.

    For housing benefit/council tax reduction then you're allowed to go away for up to 13 weeks at a time before your benefit stops.

    Some people really do need to mind their own business.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • MerthyrMaurader
    MerthyrMaurader Community member Posts: 19 Connected
    Thanks poppy 
    But if I go do I need to tell them I'm going and if so which one do I tell dwp or council? 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    DWP and your local council are 2 completely different departments. You don't need to tell them you're going providing you're not gone for longer than 4 weeks.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 10,821 Scope online community team
    Just wanted to add that I'm sorry this happened @MerthyrMaurader, it's the last thing you need with your wife so unwell. 
    Community Manager
    Scope
  • MerthyrMaurader
    MerthyrMaurader Community member Posts: 19 Connected
    Hi Adrian 
    Thank you for your concern. 
    There's just some downright nasty malicious people around. It will come back to bite them and I hope I'm around to see it.
    MM. 

Brightness

Do you need advice on your energy costs?


Scope’s Disability Energy Support service is open to any disabled household in England or Wales in which one or more disabled people live. You can get free advice from an expert adviser on managing energy debt, switching tariffs, contacting your supplier and more. Find out more information by visiting our
Disability Energy Support webpage.