Customer Compliance Officer Meeting

Hi everyone,

I recently had a client on the phone wanting to know if he was under any obligation to attend one of these, and provide them with the information that they wanted - 2 year’s worth of bank statements.

I’ve not been able to meet the Cl to see any letters he’d been given, but yesterday couldn’t find any information about what may happen if he didn’t attend, or under what basis they were demanding his bank statements. I assume that if Cl doesn’t attend then it will probably get passed on to the fraud office - is that correct?

Thanks

There is no legal requirement to attend an informal interview but his benefit will more than likely be suspended (if it hasn’t already) if he doesn’t.  He should attend and demand to know exactly what information has flown across their radar leading them to seek the information requested.  A person is entitled to know the case against him but not the identity, at this stage, of any public informant.  If it is a legitimate enquiry he should comply but if the DWP is merely going on a fishing trip he might want to challenge them higher up the food chain.  As I don’t know the facts of your case it’s not possible to say whether there will be a referral to the fraud section or not but it’s entirely possible.

Thanks Nevip, I’m meeting with him tomorrow so should be able to find out more. Do you know under what regulations they can stop his benefit for not attending? I’m getting lost.

The scheme for suspension and termination can be found in regs 16-20 of the Decisions and Appeals Regs 1999.

Thanks nevip, appreciated.

It is likely they already have all his bank statements anyway and they are asking him to provide them to see how truthful he is/was.

When I have seen clients who have had compliance interviews regarding capital etc the compliance officers already have all the info they need.

They can write to banks quoting some law and they get all the information they need.