Hi, my name is zeata59! — Scope | Disability forum
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Hi, my name is zeata59!

zeata59
zeata59 Community member Posts: 2 Listener
i was wondering if anyone could give a little advice.
i have been investergated for DLA fraud i have had the interveiws my dla was surpended in july of last year yet still have not heard a thing.
also the one and only letter i recived asking to go to an appointment was addressed to me with them useing my Ex Married name to which i never claimed dla in at all.
thanks for any advice this has been going on since june 2016.

Comments

  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering
    zeata59,

    I'm sorry to hear this and I'd consider getting local advice from an agency such as Citizens Advice. Unfortunately the DWP do have the power to suspend payment of benefit whilst they are investigating, but they shouldn't do this indefinitely - in your case it's been 6 months or more and that must be long enough. 

    I'd advise that your next step should be complaining about how long the investigation is taking. You can mention their mistake about your name in the complaint, too. You start the complaint process by complaining to the office you are dealing with - the office that wrote to you about the investigations and about the suspension of your benefit. If you don't get a result from them, ask to have your complaint passed to a complaints resolution manager. I would give a time scale to each stage of the complaint (about 15 working days maximum for them to respond). Make it clear you'll go to the next stage if you don't hear from them within the timescale.

    It's also well worth contacting your MP about this. Although you can't go to the Parliamentary Ombudsman until you've been through the rest of the complaints procedure, your MP can still help you by trying to hurry up the investigation and lift the suspension. If you see the CAB again too, make sure they know you're asking your MP for help because otherwise it can get confusing!

    This is too long for your benefit to be suspended and they should have come to some conclusions by now. If you complain and make it clear you're thinking about involving your MP you may find that things move faster!
    Good luck.

    Will
    The Benefits Training Co:

  • zeata59
    zeata59 Community member Posts: 2 Listener
    hi there thank you for your advice 
    i recived a letter from DLA stating that they have stopped my DLA
    I telephoned them to ask a few questions which was given on reasons
    i asked them if they had seen any vediio evedance whice i was shown asnd i was told that that they only read what the invsetergating officer had written in her report
    and this officer said i was seen inside the place which was tolld i had been going to my by my sons ex parnter i have seen this viedo and it shows me not even goning near any sort of shops at all. can i apeal the DM Deccison
    thanks zeats
  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering

    Hi zeata59 

    Yes you can appeal against the decision but first you must ask the DWP to look again at the decision, this is called a mandatory reconsideration and details of how to do this can be found here

    In relation to the decision, has the DWP said that you have been overpaid benefit and have to pay money back? Or have they just said you no longer qualify for benefit to continue to be paid? Also on the second question have they said why you no longer qualify?

    Best wishes

    Paul

    The Benefits Training Co:

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