What Should I Do If Ilford Benefit Integrity Centre Contacts Me?
By
HuutiMoney
If you have been contacted by the Ilford Benefit Integrity Centre and are wondering about what to do, you will find help in the following blog post. Since Benefit Integrity Centres are responsible for claim reviews, being contacted by them means that either a previous claim is being reviewed or a new application is under process.
What Should I Do If Ilford Benefit Integrity Centre Contacts Me?
The first thing you should do if the Ilford Benefit Integrity Centre contacts you is to inform your local Jobcentre Plus office; especially if you are claiming or have filed to claim any of the following benefits:
- Employment Support Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit
- Income Support
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
If you are claiming Pension Credits, you should contact the Pension Service to confirm the reason for being contacted by the Ilford Benefit Integrity Centre.
Benefit Integrity Centres are now called Fraud and Error Prevention Service (FEPS) and the nature of their work involves reviewing benefits claims. Suppose you have applied for any of the above-listed benefits or are due for a review of the claim you have been receiving payments for.
In that case, you can expect to be contacted by the Benefit Integrity Centre or Fraud and Error Prevention Service (FEPS) for a claims review.
FEPS or the Ilfords Benefit Integrity Centre can contact you in any of the following ways:
- Phone calls
- Text messages
- Letter
If you are contacted via phone call for a claim review, you will be asked a few questions to confirm your identity. During this process, you may be asked the name of your bank or the branch where you hold an account. However, you must be careful not to disclose your bank account number or sort code with them on a phone call. FEPS officials will never ask for personal details that can affect your financial transactions.
If you receive a text message from FEPS, it would be a reminder for an earlier communication that you may have received from them. This is usually the case when you have been sent a letter or an email from them along with a form. The text message in this case would be a reminder to submit the required details if you haven’t already. Since these are just reminders, you don’t have to reply to a text message from FEPS.
If you receive a letter or an email from FEPS, it will be accompanied by a form that you need to fill out and submit to them. The submission process, method and due date will be mentioned in this communication. The first thing that you should do in this case is to confirm the authenticity of the form by checking for the logo of Jobcentre Plus or the Department for Work and Pensions.
What Information Do I Need To Give To The Benefit Integrity Centre Or FEPS?
If you have been contacted by a Benefit Integrity Centre Or FEPS, you will need to provide them with detailed information regarding your income and savings. This can include details of the following:
- Cash in savings accounts
- Cash at home
- Money saved in a current account at the bank
- Money saved in building society accounts
- Money in a Tax-Free Childcare account
- Money in stocks and shares
- ISAs
- Pension pots
- Income bonds
- Redundancy Pay
- Compensation Payouts
- Any other property you own (which is not your main home)
In addition to this, you may also need to provide information regarding the benefits you claim and the name of the bank where you receive your benefits payments.
You will be guided by the FEPS centre regarding how and when to provide them with the required information.
Do I Need A Benefits Solicitor If Benefit Integrity Centre Or FEPS Contact Me?
Whether or not you need a welfare benefits solicitor if a Benefit Integrity Centre or FEPS contact you depends on the nature and complexity of your case. If you are able to understand the content of the communication that you have received from FEPS, your financial records are up to date and you have not made any error in your benefits claim application, you may not need a benefits solicitor.
On the other hand, if you are unsure of how to proceed once you are contacted by a Benefit Integrity Centre Or FEPS, or you are in doubt about the financial details that you have shared you are advised to contact a welfare benefits solicitor. If you are looking for Welfare Benefits Solicitors in Ilford, you may find some help online.
Conclusion:
If you are concerned about being contacted by the Ilford Benefit Integrity Centre, you would have found guidance in the above article on how to proceed with responding to them. If the communication is simple and you have the information that they require, you should reply to them and provide the required information but only after informing your local Jobcentre Plus office. In some cases, you may need legal advice.