DWP fishing phone call?

[ShingleAllTheWay]

Hey all posting here for traffic and opinions as I'm in a total flap and not sure what's happening. I'm currently on income support and carers.

Just had a call from the DWP saying that they have been told by the Student finance people that I've been doing a university course with the OU in 2018. I said I have done a course, yes but I think it was 2017 when I completed it. He said what was the result? I said I got a BA and he asked the subject. Said was it part time, I said yes. I said I was surprised he was calling me as I had discussed my course repeatedly at the lone parent interviews over 4 years as they wanted to update their records with my progress. I was also called into a compliance interview last year after a malicious report where again, I mentioned completing my degree and how I had done everything I could to be work ready when I was no longer a caree. The interview found I had done nothing wrong. He sounded very surprised and said he would look into this.

But some of it just doesn't add up. I've checked my student record and I did sign up to do a stand alone module (after my degree) in 2018 but it wasn't for the amount he said it was. He said it was £975 fee that the student finance had told him about but it wasn't, it was £2250 but I didn't complete the module as I cancelled it the week after it started. But I had mentioned on my FB "achievements " that I was starting a first year module in STEM . I was doing this hoping to add extra appeal to my teaching application and future employment prospects but My caring duties changed so I couldn't even start it, so the fee was refunded. This was financed under second degree STEM rules Via student finance.

Why would student finance contact the DWP with incorrect info? Don't they share systems? If so how did he get this so wrong? Or is my sister likely to be correct when she says that somebody has seen on fb that I'm apparently doing a course and has reported me thinking I'm breaking the rules as a carer ? Or just out of plain old spite.

I'm having a total panic attack even though i haven't done anything wrong and disclosed this every step of the way.

Are you sure it was genuine?

Honestly? I did think maybe it wasn't genuine as he said he couldn't access systems due to working from home but asked me to clear security. It was from an 0300 number though so I'm totally torn. But he didn't ask me for any information that was unusual.... just the normal name, address, name of 2 kids type stuff.

When they contact me, they only ask the name of who I care for - they don't know my other kids' names.

Sorry just to clarify, the guy said he was from the compliance team. I don't even know why being a part time student would be an issue for them or even why he was calling unless it was just to clarify things?

Afaik student finance don't contact DWP except in exceptional circumstances where there is already an investigation of fraud (like getting a full loan where you're only entitled to minimum because you've lied on purpose etc). DWP can contact them but they don't really, I've always had to pass the information along myself. Theyre not linked. They have asked for my sons details before, even when I've contacted them, think they like to just ask different info occasionally for security. This sounds odd to me. What did he say was the purpose of the call? If you have confirmation that it was all cancelled and fee refunded there is nothing to look into. Don't worry too much - even if it is real, you haven't done anything wrong.

I would have thought they'd contact you in writing to arrange a call. Can you call the DWP using the number on their website and check whether someone contacted you?

I've just searched the number and it's definitely DWP.

I've no idea what the call was about. Mainly to clarify about the course I was doing but the information he had was wildly inaccurate. He didn't know about my degree from 2012-2017 but was calling about a degree course /module I started in 2018. I said no, I did my degree and graduated in 2017 and he was very surprised. He only seemed to know about a 2018 module but his information was wrong. It was only after the call that I my ou account and raised that yes I did sign up to do a course in 2018 but cancelled it a week after I started as my son got quite sick so I could complete it.

BUT. I had shared that on my Facebook achievement/education and it was public. So somebody could have seen that. But my profile pic is me in a cap and gown.

I'm just trying to figure out if it was a genuine report with the wrong information from the student finance OR if subsidy has been digging on my FB trying to cause grief for me by getting my benefits suspended. Even though I haven't done anything wrong.

Put the number into google and see what it says

No they do phone but its not great practice these days but they want to fluster people etc.

As long as you have your records straight don't worry about it and keep repeating to anyone that contacts you. Personally I would contact them directly to say you had this call and were unsure if it was genuine. Within DWP they do have a system that records calls etc and should have access to systems even if they are working from home

Don't rely on the number being the DWP one, it's easy for scammers to spoof outgoing numbers.

I've just searched the number and it's definitely DWP.

Just in the way your get phishing emails, the same can been done to telephone numbers. Number might look genuine but not necessarily where the person called from. It's called Vishing.

I rung the number and it's definitely the dwp.

I'm totally confused. I have no idea if this was them fishing out of somebody had reported me maliciously. They've 100% got my degree partway on file from several lone parent advisor as I was proud of juggling my own disability, caring for my son and starting from a level 2 TA qualification I worked my way to a degree and actually graduated.

Just because the number showing when they call is the DWP it does not mean that they are calling from that number. It's easy to make someone else's number show when you're ringing someone.

www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/problems/tackling-nuisance-calls-and-messages/phone-spoof-scam

I rung the number and it's definitely the dwp.

I'm totally confused. I have no idea if this was them fishing out of somebody had reported me maliciously.

What did they say when you asked them?

Try not to put information in FB. If I had to guess then I'd say somebody has seen it on FB and reported. In any case doesn't look as if it will be pursued añy further.

I didn't speak anybody , i just called. When I googled I also found this that says it's a UC NUMBER, which is what the line says when I called but I'm not on UC..... I'm still on a legacy benefit. But I was due to be moved over onto UC this year but Covid stopped it. Maybe they were hoping to trio me up so I would be forced to claim UC ? I know they are trying to get rid of all of the legacy benefits and I am much better off in income support than I will be on be on UC. I've attached the screen shot of the number that called me and the page I found that says UC.

I didn't speak anybody

Whatever not?

Honestly OP, the very first thing I would have done would be to ring them and ask. You posted on Mumsnet and then rang the number to verify it's legitimately, but didn't actually talk to anyone to verify it's legitimacy

Phone them back and speak to a human who can answer your question.

Whenever the DWP have rung me, its always been a blocked number.

A quick google says the compliance team is part of DWPs fraud investigation department. It seems someone has ether reported you or they have been looking at your FB and suspect you might be studying something extra that you haven't informed them about. Either way you have told the truth and have nothing to worry about.

It's likely that someones rung up or emailed the 'snitch on someone you know' line/address.

Not at all unusual that they contact you with only a smidgen of the necessary information or that they haven't a bloody clue how to access previous records etc etc.

I'd forget about it but that can be easier said than done!

Did you claim a maintenance grant through OU? Or just tutition fee? The maintenance grants are hard to get, i only get one because im disabled and unable to study in a brick uni, but very few people qualify. Ive never had to declare my money to DWP as i have no means tested benefits, but maybe thats what they are looking for?

Don't rely on the number being the DWP one, it's easy for scammers to spoof outgoing numbers.

this.

I didn't claim a maintenance grant, just the fee part that went straight to the OU, I never saw a penny of it.

And I didn't speak to anybody there because right now I'm in not in a good place. I'm bi polar and hate phones at the best of times but has a telephone appointment with a ESA. Assessor for his claim right after and had to leave the line free for an hour as the appointment was in an hour time frame. So I just verified that when I called, it was a DWP number with the whole course this number/that number. Also, I have had a compliance interview last year about something different and when I called up to find out what it was about there wasn't even any record of it on my file and they couldn't tell me anything as it's just a call centre and the compliance team is an internal group so they couldn't help. They just gave me another number, I left a message and subdivide got back to me from a different number to verify it. Then I went to the job centre and it was a genuine interview despite it not being in my file. The man today also knew the woman I spoke to last year and mentioned her as Mrs surname , to which I replied " Mrs Dwp Surname?" And he said yes, they are from the same dept.

It's looking more an more like silently has got it in for me and is repeatedly making malicious calls. Last year somebody said that I had gone in hospital with my husband ( I don't even have a boy friend) and I was working on the side (I wasnt). I had to show the receipts for the flights and eurocamp caravan that it was me, my sibling and our 3 children. The assessor commended me on finding such a cheap flight at £50 each return and paying just £280 for a caravan in Italy during May 🤷🏼‍♀️. Said no rules had been broken and that was it. Then my sister got called in the following week for a going on holiday the year before (when she wasn't even in benefits) and apparently having a partner. Her babies dad had died 8 months earlier and she'd been single and forced to claim UC for childcare help.

It's really wrong that it seems anybody can make up lies and then people are dragged in and worrying and in limbo. Surely they could just do some research into their own records at least before scaring the life out of us?

And I didn't speak to anybody there because right now I'm in not in a good place.

I'm sorry but this is ridiculous. You are in a worse place second guessing and asking the opinion of Mumsnet than you could ever be by speaking to them to ask about the call. I don't want to sound dismissive but this really is a cop out.

I know that starting a few years back HMRC were updating LAs with pay details of benefit claimants (or HMRC reported to DWP and then DWP reported to la, can't remember which) and the LA would question income discrepencies with the claimant. I wouldn't be surprised if this has now expanded to include student finance reporting to DWP and/or LAs as well.