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CoC is change of circumstances, COFC might be change of financial circumstances, other than that i don't know - let me guess - was this on the suspension notice to client? (he got a suspension notice? eeh, luxury!)
there was at one time a concept of not disrupting benefit payments without good reason, and also the concept of payments at a safe rate. i know... it sounds funny...
with the details of earnings and hours provided it is possible to calculate as you have done, whether the c/circs will remove entitlement or reduce it...this might sometimes entail sitting down with paper and pencil or calculater...but confirmation in the form of a payslip or equivalent is usually required...
the high priority concept of not leaving people without payments would enable c/o/c to be be processed pending confirmation - sometimes people would have difficulties with payslips on first starting a job...if it turned out the claimant had lied eg earnings were £70, not £30, the overpayment would be recoverable, so a 'safe rate' is a safe rate...(on part time earnings, the date payment is received is the relevant date, not the date work commenced btw)
if anything remains of these concepts, it is no longer high priority and is probably in fragmentary form, like aztec pottery... i suspect that 'the process' is not conducive to assessing a c/o/c which is in a sense provisional, and this is why they have just suspended the lot...because it is easier for them, although i very much doubt that there is anything to prevent processing of the reported change in circumstances...so yes... i think you could complain...suspension is unnecessary, but i suspect, becoming 'normal' (another push button effect)
will your client be able to provide a payslip?
you are not imagining that the DWP should normally respect your client's wishes not to contact his employer...he is entitled to confidentiality and is not obliged to tell his employer that he claims benefit. they will in any event, usually place the responsibility on the claimant for providing the confirmation of earnings details they need...but it shouldn't hurt to make his wishes explicit...they can seek earnings info from employers if they have reason to suspect they have not been declared correctly, but this doesn't seem likely in your client's case... it's just much easier for them just to stop paying him until he gives them what they want...this is confirmation of his gross pay and deductions... they might want confirmation of his commencement date if they are very suspicious, but name and address of employer isn't strictly speaking required for determining entitlement...
there does appear to be a number of internal conflicts in the system, but i expect they will eventually be resolved when the government has the technology to suck out our brains and the power to chip and pin us at birth.
jan
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