What happens if I don’t tell them?
You may be visited by a Fraud Investigation Officer if you are suspected of taking advantage of the benefit system.
Or you could be asked to attend an interview to talk about your claim, called an “interview under caution”.
They are formal interviews and will be recorded, and could be used as part of a criminal investigation against you.
If you have committed or attempted fraud, you will be told to pay back the overpaid money.
You may also be taken to court or asked to pay a penalty of between £350 and £5,000.
Alternatively, your benefits may be reduced or even stopped altogether – this is called a sanction.
Benefits that can be sanctioned include carer’s allowance, housing benefit and jobseeker’s allowance.
Some welfare payments can’t be sanctioned, like child benefit, state pension and disability living allowance.
Statutory maternity, paternity and sick pay are also excluded from being docked
