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interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Old Jun 25th 2009, 9:36 am
  #1  
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Default interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Hi
So I received my call yesterday to go over a huge amount of questions about claiming benefits, job seekers allowance etc....and obviously I couldn't lie about that I still have a house in the US....however, I did tell a bit of a fib...and said it's up for sale! When I have my person to person interview, I think I'm going to say it's off the market.....would hate to get caught out....any way I get around it though, because I'm sure once they know I have a mortgage and a house that is being rented out I won't be able to get any help temporary while I find a job etc.... It will be sold eventually but probably not this year.

Anyone know what else I could say to help my case?

thanks!!
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Old Jun 25th 2009, 11:08 am
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Default Re: interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Originally Posted by Clangers
Hi
So I received my call yesterday to go over a huge amount of questions about claiming benefits, job seekers allowance etc....and obviously I couldn't lie about that I still have a house in the US....however, I did tell a bit of a fib...and said it's up for sale! When I have my person to person interview, I think I'm going to say it's off the market.....would hate to get caught out....any way I get around it though, because I'm sure once they know I have a mortgage and a house that is being rented out I won't be able to get any help temporary while I find a job etc.... It will be sold eventually but probably not this year.

Anyone know what else I could say to help my case?

thanks!!
If you can show that the house is negatively geared ie, rent doesn't meet the outgoings, then that might prove you're not gaining any financial income or benefit from renting out your house.
I don't know how it works but someone else might know more. Worth a try though.
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Old Jun 25th 2009, 1:24 pm
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Default Re: interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Originally Posted by Clangers
Hi
So I received my call yesterday to go over a huge amount of questions about claiming benefits, job seekers allowance etc....and obviously I couldn't lie about that I still have a house in the US....however, I did tell a bit of a fib...and said it's up for sale! When I have my person to person interview, I think I'm going to say it's off the market.....would hate to get caught out....any way I get around it though, because I'm sure once they know I have a mortgage and a house that is being rented out I won't be able to get any help temporary while I find a job etc.... It will be sold eventually but probably not this year.

Anyone know what else I could say to help my case?

thanks!!
Why don't you become a British MP ? They think its ok to fiddle their expenses whilst claiming all the benefits they can ! :curse: Why do you think its ok to do the same ? If thats the type of person you are then stay in the US !!!
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Old Jun 26th 2009, 1:14 am
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Default Re: interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Originally Posted by cricket1again
If you can show that the house is negatively geared ie, rent doesn't meet the outgoings, then that might prove you're not gaining any financial income or benefit from renting out your house.
I don't know how it works but someone else might know more. Worth a try though.
I think you will find that the rent for the house will be classed as income.
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Old Jun 26th 2009, 1:45 am
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Default Re: interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Originally Posted by formula
I think you will find that the rent for the house will be classed as income.
I realise that but I wasn't sure if it would be regarded as income if the expenses are higher.
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Old Jun 26th 2009, 5:00 am
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Default Re: interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Originally Posted by Clangers
Hi
So I received my call yesterday to go over a huge amount of questions about claiming benefits, job seekers allowance etc....and obviously I couldn't lie about that I still have a house in the US....however, I did tell a bit of a fib...and said it's up for sale! When I have my person to person interview, I think I'm going to say it's off the market.....would hate to get caught out....any way I get around it though, because I'm sure once they know I have a mortgage and a house that is being rented out I won't be able to get any help temporary while I find a job etc.... It will be sold eventually but probably not this year.

Anyone know what else I could say to help my case?

thanks!!
10/10 for being cheeky, but really.....
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Old Jun 26th 2009, 8:33 am
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Default Re: interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Originally Posted by BAY
Why don't you become a British MP ? They think its ok to fiddle their expenses whilst claiming all the benefits they can ! :curse: Why do you think its ok to do the same ? If thats the type of person you are then stay in the US !!!
but in order to become a british mp, you first need to donate to a charity and then find a way to claim benefits for that expense, otherwise you dont stand a chance...
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Old Jun 26th 2009, 8:56 am
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Default Re: interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Originally Posted by Clangers
Hi
So I received my call yesterday to go over a huge amount of questions about claiming benefits, job seekers allowance etc....and obviously I couldn't lie about that I still have a house in the US....however, I did tell a bit of a fib...and said it's up for sale! When I have my person to person interview, I think I'm going to say it's off the market.....would hate to get caught out....any way I get around it though, because I'm sure once they know I have a mortgage and a house that is being rented out I won't be able to get any help temporary while I find a job etc.... It will be sold eventually but probably not this year.

Anyone know what else I could say to help my case?

thanks!!
Areyou literally coming over to the UK penniless? If you have money in the bank (over a certain amount that is not very high) or a spouse working then you cannot get benefits as you have not made contributions.

Why you think the UK tax payer should have to tide you over is beyond me.

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Old Jun 26th 2009, 8:39 pm
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Default Re: interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Originally Posted by Bermudashorts
Areyou literally coming over to the UK penniless? If you have money in the bank (over a certain amount that is not very high) or a spouse working then you cannot get benefits as you have not made contributions.

Why you think the UK tax payer should have to tide you over is beyond me.

I agree actually!How much money do you need?Surely the rent from your house can tide you over??
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Old Jun 27th 2009, 8:25 am
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Default Re: interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Originally Posted by Bermudashorts
Why you think the UK tax payer should have to tide you over is beyond me.

Somehow or other the British Department of Work and Pensions always roots out any kind of fraudulent claim sooner or later....how they actually do so I'm not well enough informed to say and it's just as well that I'm not...they just have ways and means of finding out all the ins and outs and whys and wherefores of social welfare claims, and rightly so.

I work effing bloody hard in my job and I'm very picky as to who the people are who benefit from my hard earned and grudgingly paid taxes and that rings true for more and more British taxpayers now especially in the light of what has happened here in the UK recently with that load of scrounging, double dealing muppets laughingly called "respectable, upstanding Members of Parliament at Westminster. Some of these geezers are apparently set to be interviewed by the police over all their expenses claims.

At least the OP here is British which is something, but that doesn't automatically be considered in any way a God given right to make welfare claims with holes, however small and seemingly "insignificant", in submitted details of current personal circumstances.

When our hard earned money goes to people who are not even British, not even from any Commonwealth country, and who have not contributed one half penny piece to "the system" in any way at all then that makes us even more incensed.

For peace of mind I would always reckon total honesty and an up-front procedure is always the vest policy in the end.

I can tell you that they really do appear to have tightened up the rules here in the UK in recent years - or so we have been led to believe, and from the perceived increase in cases of fraudulent benefits claims and subsequenrt penalties being reported in our local (and sometimes national) newspapers then maybe they are right.

Just my take on this one as a concerned UK taxpayer. Cheers for now.
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Old Jun 28th 2009, 11:40 am
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Default Re: interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Originally Posted by Clangers

I couldn't lie about that I still have a house in the US....however, I did tell a bit of a fib...and said it's up for sale!

thanks!!
First of all, I would not have told them anything about your US property.

Tell them the very bare minimum, about anything they ask.
Let them work it out themselves.

You were staying with a friend, weren't you !


'vette
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Old Jun 28th 2009, 2:12 pm
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Default Re: interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Originally Posted by uk_vette
First of all, I would not have told them anything about your US property.

Tell them the very bare minimum, about anything they ask.
Let them work it out themselves.

You were staying with a friend, weren't you !


'vette
Yes, but they do ask these questions. So if you (OP) want to follow the advice of the above person, be aware that not revealing information is as much an offence as providing in correct information.
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Old Jun 28th 2009, 3:03 pm
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Default Re: interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Originally Posted by Lothianlad
Somehow or other the British Department of Work and Pensions always roots out any kind of fraudulent claim sooner or later....how they actually do so I'm not well enough informed to say and it's just as well that I'm not...they just have ways and means of finding out all the ins and outs and whys and wherefores of social welfare claims, and rightly so.
How on earth they found out about that Spanish family that rented an apartment in Spain, but gave that up to come here and claim to be homeless, was beyond me! They ended up in a court for their false claim. I can understand how they found out if they had owned a property abroad, but renting....

Last edited by formula; Jun 28th 2009 at 3:06 pm.
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Old Jun 28th 2009, 3:29 pm
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Default Re: interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Originally Posted by uk_vette
First of all, I would not have told them anything about your US property.

Tell them the very bare minimum, about anything they ask.
Let them work it out themselves.
You have to sign to claim benefits, it's not just a case of being evasive on the answers to questions they ask. If the op doesn't declare the house and rental income, then they are committing benefit fraud (and tax evasion?) and stand a good chance of ending up at the mercy of the courts.

The government only have to suspect they are committing fraud, even without any proof, and then the Data Protection Act goes out of the window for them and anyone connected to them. The rules on the Data Protection Act are quite clear in that they don't protect those that are suspected of fraud or money laundering.

Last edited by formula; Jun 28th 2009 at 3:32 pm.
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Old Jun 28th 2009, 3:34 pm
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Default Re: interview with job centre for benefits...any tips?

Originally Posted by cricket1again
I realise that but I wasn't sure if it would be regarded as income if the expenses are higher.
You will still be required to submit a tax assessment, even if you have losses.
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