JSA Question

[drodgers]

Just a quick question - do the DWP check with other agencies like the PPA (health costs people) or other agencies when assessing a claim for Jobseekers? Is it best to declare everything even if it seems irrelevant?

[The GodMother]

I have not come across this but i dont think they do. I know its up to us if we want health care insurance so if we want it and we can pay for it then we can have it.

 

The best question for me to ask you is what directly do u need to know about. Are you going to be entitled to some money soon.

[insyder]

The DWP don't check PPAs but if you declare one they will ask you to prove it.

 

Some areas of the claim are checked but others are not and as The GodMother said you need to be more specific.

[drodgers]

Stuff like p/t education courses, etc - eg if you declare one thing to one agency and another thing to the other agency, do they check with the other agency? Sometimes you can forget what you've told who.

[The GodMother]

u will need to tell them about the education as they do have a habit of sending you on there own govermant approved courses and to Job help things but as long as they no then it should not be a problem. I have been on 2 GCSE coure while on benefits they sore it as them not paying so who cares they also occassionally asked if i was doing well.

[insyder]

If you declare part-time education you would have to prove it by providing your learners agreement.

 

The communication between different departments (ie, JSA and incapacity benefit) is mainly done through paper files stored remotely and computer system notes. If these are read and they notice a discrepancy then it could cause you problems.

 

The straight answer is "it could be a problem but it depends on what it is as to how likely an inconsistency would be spotted"

[drodgers]

Thanks for the replies. Well, some agencies say that they share/check information with the DWP when assessing a claim (eg by checking with DWP to see you are receiving the benefit you claim) so at the same time - could the other agency pass on info given to them to the DWP which they might keep on record? And do they find out about people's savings through the Inland Revenue giving them info about taxable interest?

Edited January 23, 2009 by drodgers

[insyder]

People's savings information can be retrieved by fraud officers as part of an investigation. This sort of information is not asked for or checked during an initial claim though.

 

It is true to say that agencies do share information at the fraud stage though, for instance the local authorities' housing benefit teams work closely with the DWP's own fraud sections.

 

Again though you have to be more specific.