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Original poster

*URGENT* Benefits suspended and 'Intervention and Review'

43 replies

winterpastasalad · 19/02/2023 10:50

I moved house 6 weeks ago, got a new HB award. My rent has gone up by £450 pcm, it was the cheapest house I could find as my old LL was selling up. I'm a FT carer for disabled ds.
Yesterday I got a letter saying my housing benefit has been suspended under regulation 11 and I have a form to fill in and return within one month. My circumstances haven't changed since my last form (six weeks ago). Am I under investigation for benefit fraud, or could this be a random check? I'm thinking that due to the suspension that it must be the former? I'm in a complete panic as I cannot afford to get behind with the rent. Any advice welcome, TIA.

OP posts:
Original poster
winterpastasalad · 19/02/2023 11:08

Should have said that I'm on legacy benefits, not UC just in case it makes a difference.

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R2023 · 19/02/2023 11:14

Omg so happy I’ve seen this. I got the review from letter dated on the 9th Feb. Filled it out yesterday. I’m also panicking as I can’t afford for me housing benefits to stop. I’m also moving home (mutual exchange) in a couple weeks. I really don’t want it to affect anything.

I filled mine and returned but I’m scared as to why this has happened. I’m not on UC I’m on the old style benefits. Also a full time carer and have 2 young children.

does this mean I’m getting investigated? I’ve read it’s a random check but just don’t know.

R2023 · 19/02/2023 11:15

My benefits haven’t stopped though. It’s still getting paid.

Herbie0987 · 19/02/2023 11:16

It’s a random check.

Original poster
winterpastasalad · 19/02/2023 11:31

@Herbie0987 would they suspend benefits in a random check?
R2023 sorry you are going through this too 😭

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R2023 · 19/02/2023 11:33

I’m sorry to you too. It’s so stressful

luckily mine hasn’t been suspended.

do you know what the act they listed stands for?

when you filled out the last form did you have to submit bank statement also? X

SecretVictoria · 19/02/2023 11:33

Does moving constitute a CIC so that you’d be moved to UC instead of legacy benefits?

FatSealSmugSoup · 19/02/2023 11:35

I think it only triggers a move to UC if you move LA - although I’m led to believe they’ll fib and tell you that you MUST go on UC.

Worth using the calculators though - I’m getting way more on UC than I was legacy.

R2023 · 19/02/2023 11:39

Has anyone else had this before?

Original poster
winterpastasalad · 19/02/2023 11:41

R2023 (for some reason I can't tag you) no I have never submitted bank statements to housing benefit and I've been on it since 2005. I don't think the form even asks me to submit any statements, it asks about household composition, earnings, benefits I'm on and savings/investments amount.
Regulation 11 seems to be about suspecting that you are not entitled to the claim, so it does seem like they suspect I'm commiting fraud.

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Original poster
winterpastasalad · 19/02/2023 11:45

R2023 from what I've read reviews are normal (although they may do them if the think there has been an undeclared change of circs) but they don't suspend your benefits for this. This makes me think there's something untoward for me.

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SecretVictoria · 19/02/2023 11:45

FatSealSmugSoup · 19/02/2023 11:35

I think it only triggers a move to UC if you move LA - although I’m led to believe they’ll fib and tell you that you MUST go on UC.

Worth using the calculators though - I’m getting way more on UC than I was legacy.

Thanks, I used to work (many, many years ago) for the then-DHSS so I’m out of touch but I remember reading about CIC meaning you got moved on to UC.

R2023 · 19/02/2023 11:46

Yes that’s correct. Mine asked about saving and investments which I don’t have. But asked to submit some things from a drop down menu and all I had was a bank statement on that list. So I uploaded that to show I have nothing.

you mentioned you filled on of these forms before hand. So how annoying that they want you to do it again.

they honestly make life so hard for people.

im so stressed.

does your letter advise you on what’s happening next as they’ve now stopped your claim

x

Original poster
winterpastasalad · 19/02/2023 11:53

R it just says it's been suspended and I have 4 weeks to return the form. I thought though that if fraud was suspected that it would be DWP/ income support that would be investigating, not housing benefits.
My last house that I lived in was very shabby and this house is a fairly new build and was redecorated/carpeted before I moved in. Some friends made comments along the lines of 'so this is what you get when you don't work ha ha' and I'd hate to think that someone might have maliciously reported me 😢

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EachandEveryone · 19/02/2023 11:57

This has just happened to my elderly next door neighbour who filled in the form as her husband died. They are on the old style. She filled every box in and they never paid the rent and sent her a letter saying they now need bank statements. She’s really panicking

Hadtochangeforthisone · 19/02/2023 12:03

It is almost certainly a 'tip off' from one of your 'friends' .. they will see you move into a nice shiny new place having claimed benefit for nearly 20 years - and have decided to cause trouble.

There are two different investigation
agencies. The local authority still have a very few fraud investigators.. DWP will investigate HB fraud if they are also investigating the legacy benefits.

I would just fill the form in and send back in recoded delivery or take yourself. If you know you have done nothing wrong. Haven't failed to notify any changes of circumstances. Then this will go away very quickly. I work in fraud and the amount of malicious allegations we receive is ridiculous.

R2023 · 19/02/2023 12:03

To be honest. I was thinking the same. If it was anything to do with fraud or someone reporting then it would be dwp for sure.

you mentioned you had a form like this previous. What was the reason before do you know?

R2023 · 19/02/2023 12:06

Yes that’s correct I’ve also read it’s normal. I have nothing to hide anyways. But it’s just so stressful as im meant to be moving soon and don’t want this to ruin anything.

Original poster
winterpastasalad · 19/02/2023 12:21

@Hadtochangeforthisone that's really the only explanation and it makes me so sad to think one of my friends could do this 😭. I don't have anything to hide but I'm just so worried that I'll get behind with the rent. I really don't want to embarrass myself with the landlord two months in. Do you think because of the suspension it is a fraud case rather than a routine check?

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Original poster
winterpastasalad · 19/02/2023 12:24

R2023 I've never had a form from HB like this. When I moved house I had to fill in a change of address form, that asked household composition but nothing about savings or income IIRC.
I've been on income support since 2005 and maybe only had a review form about 3 times.

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soundsofthesixties · 19/02/2023 12:24

I don't understand why you've never had to send bank statements, I've always had to send them

Original poster
winterpastasalad · 19/02/2023 12:28

@soundsofthesixties honestly I don't think I've ever sent bank statements to anyone. When I made a new claim for income support I just had to write on the form how much savings I had.

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R2023 · 19/02/2023 12:30

I asked a friend. She said she gets them every time she moves home.

im currently in the process of moving and you’ve just moved. So maybe it’s nothing. Praying so

Babyroobs · 19/02/2023 12:38

winterpastasalad · 19/02/2023 12:21

@Hadtochangeforthisone that's really the only explanation and it makes me so sad to think one of my friends could do this 😭. I don't have anything to hide but I'm just so worried that I'll get behind with the rent. I really don't want to embarrass myself with the landlord two months in. Do you think because of the suspension it is a fraud case rather than a routine check?

Have you moved within the same local authority ?

Original poster
winterpastasalad · 19/02/2023 12:41

@Babyroobs its the same town and HB office, but a different jobs centre.

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