compliance interviews

Hi, I was just wondering what a compliance interview is and who are asked to go to them? I've been on incapacity benefit for several years now and have never heard of this. Thanks.

Customer Compliance Officers do random checks on all SS benefits pretty similar to the Right Payment Programme for DLA. Their role is to check that claimants are getting the right amount of benefit which they're claiming or may be entitled to claim, but haven't submitted a claim. In many cases I've dealt with in the past, a visit from a CCO resulted in an increase in a benefit rate they were receiving, or in some cases an award of a new benefit such as Pension Credit.

CCO's do not work for the DWP fraud team, although they often do preliminary visits for them. They do not work for any specific DWP office. In my area, South Cumbria, CCO's are based in Penrith which is about a 90 miles round trip.

I have had two Customer Compliance contacts in the last 5 years, as a result of malicious accusations by persons unknown. The first time I had a home visit over two years ago as someone had reported that I was renovating a flat I used to live in and had been seen carrying bags of sand and cement.

Well for starters my flat was only 9 years old and I rented it. Plus I've been in an electric wheelchair for at least the last ten years. due to MS, chronic asthma, COPD and poly-ostearthritis. The CCO who visited me said she was treating it as a malicious call, and there would be no further action and my current DLA would continue. She hadn't to report back to a Decision Maker, as she advised me that she had the power to let my existing award of DLA remain.

My most recent CCO contact was by 'phone, when my new Motability car arrived a few months ago fitted with a wheelchair hoist to accommodate my new NHS power chair. It was the same CCO who visited me over 2 years ago, and she informed me that as they were aware of my multiple health problems, I wouldn't receive a visit, and my current DLA award would continue for as long as I satisfied the conditions for DLA Mobility & Care. As I'm now 73 years of age, I will remain on DLA and not transferred to PIP.

So if you receive a CCO visit or letter it doesn't necessarily mean you claim will be reviewed by a DWP Decision Maker. It all depends upon the circumstances of each individual contact from a CCO, and the information they hold on their centralised records.