Benefits Integrity Centre?

Has anyone else had a letter from the "Benefits Integrity Centre" and been asked to fill in new forms?

It seems to be a new thing being rolled out to deal with people who are flagged up as being high risk in terms of fraudulent claims from what I read on the web, but there is not much information, and I am also concerned that they are either targeting those with mental health issues or they are just routinely doing this to try and get people off their benefits.

There was a report by the Audit Commission published in January which is called "Reducing Losses in the Benefits System Caused by Customers Mistakes" on the web which mentions this and states some changes that are coming too.
Anyone any knowledge or experience?

Thanks

Angel

Yep, there are loads of people over on the OUCH site who have been sent forms in the past couple of months. Mine said that it wanted to 'update' my details as they hadn't checked them in nine years. As nothing has changed in nine years, they're wasting their time, but they're doing it to keep themselves in work.

It is not about DLA, as the links you have referred me to, it is about Income Support and they have sent me an A2 form to fill in. Has anyonen else hd an A2? I do get DLA but that is not being questioned at the moment.

I have been maliciously snitched on before when a neighbour claimed I owned a string of properties! My benefits were suspended and I was interviewed under caution. I was told "Well it's up to you to prove that you do NOT own any property", which of course is impossible. Meanwhile my housing benefit was also stopped due to my alleged capital and so then I got eviction letters from the council due to arrears. It was a nightmare and it nearly killed me. I had to get a solicitor in the end and they just finally reinstated my benefit but there was never any mention of the case being resolved, although I tried to elicit a letter saying so from them numerous times. I continued to live in fear not knowing if it was over or not. I am afraid that it might have come up again or that again someone has been telling tales.

It would be reassuring to know if others have had an A2 review claim form for no apparent reason, and from the Benefits Integrity Centre rather than their usual offices dealing with the claims.

www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=...k92jdcpudyxUGYRygSxw

for anyone who would like to view the form.It tells you why they have sent you one on the first page.

Angel wrote:

It is not about DLA, as the links you have referred me to, it is about Income Support and they have sent me an A2 form to fill in. Has anyonen else hd an A2? I do get DLA but that is not being questioned at the moment.

I have been maliciously snitched on before when a neighbour claimed I owned a string of properties! My benefits were suspended and I was interviewed under caution. I was told "Well it's up to you to prove that you do NOT own any property", which of course is impossible. Meanwhile my housing benefit was also stopped due to my alleged capital and so then I got eviction letters from the council due to arrears. It was a nightmare and it nearly killed me. I had to get a solicitor in the end and they just finally reinstated my benefit but there was never any mention of the case being resolved, although I tried to elicit a letter saying so from them numerous times. I continued to live in fear not knowing if it was over or not. I am afraid that it might have come up again or that again someone has been telling tales.

It would be reassuring to know if others have had an A2 review claim form for no apparent reason, and from the Benefits Integrity Centre rather than their usual offices dealing with the claims.

I had to complete an A2 form about eight years ago, but in my case the DWP officer turned up with it on my front doorstep unannounced.

I asked him whether it was the result of a preliminary suspected fraud investigation, but the officer confirmed that it was not. However, if the information on file had not matched up with the information on the A2 form, it may very well have initiated suspected fraud enquiries.

Following completion, I was hounded for about two years with the DWP and local authority working in tandem, taking turns by constantly sending out review forms, but since that date I have heard nothing form either the DWP or LA, apart from the routine review forms which are issued from time to time, and which I have received since the start of my claim.