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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

compliance officer

32 replies

milesle09 · 05/10/2016 04:18

hi i was wodering if someone could shed some light here. i had a telephone intrrveiw with a compliance officer today. someone had rang up miliously to say i was living with my sons dad which isnt the case he seemed like a nice man and asked if he come to see my son at my address which i sed yes most of the week he comes to see him ect. he sed on the phone it sounds like someone is just trying to causrle trouble ect. so i asked him wat happens next he sed nothing he would write this up and then close it? is this genuien coz i have done nothing wrong and cant believe people would do this out of spite. ? many thanks

OP posts:
MinnowAndTheBear · 05/10/2016 05:13

So it sounds as though the compliance officer will be sending a report through to your local benefit centre. Upon receiving the report the benefit centre will reinstate your benefit. This should take a few days max.
I'm sorry I can't really advise about how to avoid this happening in the future. It is a nasty thing to fall victim to.

VioletBam · 05/10/2016 05:46

To be honest I think the real officer would send a letter first asking YOU to get in touch with THEM.

Anyone could just phone you and say they are a compliance officer and ask all kinds of personal questions.

Get in touch with your Housing OFficer or your benefits office today and check if this was real.

Original poster
milesle09 · 05/10/2016 06:08

sorry should of posted that i had receicved the letter two weeks ago from job center ect. they havent stopped any money. im just so annoyed that someone would do this ect. just wanting to know if that is it now like the man on the phone said. sorry i just suffer with anxiaty and always think the worst

OP posts:
VioletBam · 05/10/2016 06:11

It's probably just some old busybody neighbour OP. It's rare that a friend would do such a thing. Take absolutely NO notice. You're fine...the social know that and YOU know that and that is all that matters.x

LeopardPrintSocks1 · 05/10/2016 06:13

That sounds fine I had an interview which was really unnerving. The guy was behind a screen and asked me loads of questions. I had my baby with me. I had to wait for the interview for a week too so was a nervous wreck thinking they would stop my payments.

Longlost10 · 05/10/2016 06:13

don't think of it as malicious, just think of it as someone trying to do their civic duty. People do make fraudulent claims, and it costs all of us. That is why compliance officers do this job.

Original poster
milesle09 · 05/10/2016 06:44

wat i dont understand is that they just let me explain then said yeah thats fine.. so if someone was actually doing something wrong then they could quite easily get away with it!. thank u i know i have nothing to hide just didnt know if they was gonna start watching me and stop my money ect

OP posts:
abbsismyhero · 05/10/2016 06:59

Chances are they have already looked into it and the phone call is just a formality some people when confronted will admit they have done it so they get punished less

Softkitty2 · 05/10/2016 09:36

So off putting reading this, spell check? Sed=said?

Original poster
milesle09 · 05/10/2016 09:57

i wrote this early hours of this morning. further down i have wrote said the correct way.

OP posts:
Footle · 05/10/2016 10:20

Ffs kitty, I feel very angry that you would question the OP's spelling when she has been so worried.

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 05/10/2016 10:25

I doubt a genuine compliance officer would just take your word for it, and basically say. "OK have a nice life, bye."
Its someone pissing around. Well that's my thoughts, anyway

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 05/10/2016 10:28

Also you say he was a nice man.
They're like Bailiffs. There are no nice ones. They're there to scare the shit out of people.
They don't pussyfoot around, so as not to upset or worry you.

Longlost10 · 05/10/2016 10:30

They're like Bailiffs. There are no nice ones not true, many bailiffs are friendly, helpful and sympathetic

Longlost10 · 05/10/2016 10:32

They're like Bailiffs. There are no nice ones when my friend was evicted by bailiffs, they called round to meet her two days before and explained exactly what was going to happen, and advised her on how to manage various aspects of packing and storage, such as the goldfish.They were great.

jacks365 · 05/10/2016 10:38

I doubt a genuine compliance officer would just take your word for it, and basically say. "OK have a nice life, bye."

That is pretty much what happened with me the only difference is that I rang and spoke to them rather than them ringing me. Whether a basic investigation had already been done and I just confirmed what they already knew I don't know but all it took was a quick phone call to clear things up.

ListenToYourHeart · 05/10/2016 10:41

I had this once, long time ago when on income support.

I'd just broke up with my ex and had a massive falling out with his family.

I didn't have a telephone interview it was face to face, someone had told them I was living with a partner and working whilst claiming as a single parent.

I told the truth, I was living at my mums and that I had started a part time course which I had already told income support about as they helped me get on to it.

The two people listen to what I said and even said it sounds like a malicious phone call, so they basically took my word for it. I went in there calm as I knew I had nothing to hide maybe they could tell this.

Either way OP if you are doing nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about, it probably is someone just being nasty.

Original poster
milesle09 · 05/10/2016 10:42

he was a conpliance officer from the job center. he was nice wasnt indimidating at all. basically said they get these sort of calls all the time and they have rang to ask me for infomation i asked him ehat happens now he said he would write this up and sign it off. i was a bit baffled beacause if i had done something surely just a phone call couldnt prove anything i know i have nothing to worry about it just really confused me ect

OP posts:
Original poster
milesle09 · 05/10/2016 15:22

thank u made me angry also lol

OP posts:
britbat23 · 05/10/2016 15:31

he was a conpliance officer from the job center

how can you be sure of this? how did he prove his identity?

Original poster
milesle09 · 05/10/2016 15:53

i had a letter two weekd before from job center telling me i had an interveiw on thr phone at half psst one yesterday

OP posts:
WankersHacksandThieves · 05/10/2016 16:23

I think as long as you can corroberate the info he has and that it isn't an issue then he will just write it up and close it off.

Say for example, malicious person has stated that boyfriend stays overnight at yours 4 or 5 nights a week, they've sent someone to watch and they see him stay once and come over 3 nights but leave. They ask you how often he stays and you say, about one night a week but comes over in the evening about 3 nights then leaves, they see that matches what they have and it isn't a problem so close the case.

Not saying that's your scenario btw, just giving an example of the info matching and being fine.

Original poster
milesle09 · 05/10/2016 16:43

he basically sed i presume ur sons dad comes to ur house to see ur son ect. i said yes he does a few times a week and so on. then i asked what happens now he stated nothing he will write it up and close it and that i have nothing to worry about. said they get a lot of calls like it ect

OP posts:
AmeliaJack · 05/10/2016 16:52

SoftKitty you should be ashamed of yourself.

The OP was perfectly understandable even with the odd mistake in it. There are many reasons that someone's written English might not be perfect, none of which are relevant to this thread.

You might want to work on developing some empathy and compassion, both of which are more important that good spelling.

AmeliaJack · 05/10/2016 16:53

miles I'm glad it's being sorted out and that the person you spoke to was nice.