How to handle an interview under caution
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So, you’ve been asked to an interview under caution: what now?
What is an interview under caution?
What will the interview be like?
After the interview under caution
If your interviewer thinks you may have committed fraud, they may then recommend to their legal department that they prosecute you. The legal section may not take the fraud section’s advice: before taking the case to court they need to be sure they have enough evidence to convince a court that you broke the law so that it is worth the time and money to take the case. It will rarely be enough to go to court and only produce what you said in an interview and hope that you will be found guilty.
What might they do after the interview?
After the interview (or if you don’t go to it) they could decide to:
- Do nothing more: this may be because they decide no fraud was committed, or it may be that they think the case would be too difficult or costly to prove.
Or, If they have enough evidence to take you to court they could do one of the following:
- Prosecute you: this involves taking you to a magistrates' or a crown court. If you are found guilty they could fine you up to £5,000, or, in extreme cases they could send you to prison, (although this is very rare). If they think the case is serious enough they may decide to prosecute without giving you any other options to avoid it.
Or, agree not to prosecute you if you agree to accept either:
- A penalty: You would have to pay a penalty of 30% of the amount of the overpayment (on top of paying back the overpayment).You could be offered a penalty for each benefit you were overpaid. Before you accept: take advice, as a penalty could be pretty expensive – and might add up to more than what a court might fine you if they found you guilty. If you accept a penalty, you can change your mind within 28 days.
- Or a Formal Caution: You sign to say you agree you’ve committed fraud and they promise not to prosecute you for it. However, someone else can still prosecute you for a related offence (for example another benefit fraud), and it could be raised again if there is another case later. Once you’ve signed to accept a formal caution you can't change your mind.
A formal caution isn’t given by the police and is not the same as having a criminal record. It is only recorded on the fraud section’s records and no-one else will be told about it unless you are prosecuted later for another fraud.
Some councils have a different name for a formal caution: check if you are unsure.
Always try to get advice before accepting or refusing a penalty or formal caution:
They should only offer these options if they believe they have enough evidence to prosecute, and not just to try and get you to ‘admit’ guilt. If you are considering accepting a penalty or formal caution, it can be useful to see a copy of your file (see the step-by-step guide) to see if they really do have a strong enough case that they could take to court. Refusing a penalty or caution doesn’t automatically mean they will prosecute and shouldn’t influence their decision about whether to do so. Nor does it mean that they have found you guilty: only a court can do that.
If after the interview they decide to drop the case, or if you refuse a penalty or formal caution, you may not be told what has happened. It can be very unsettling not knowing whether the issue has been dropped or whether you may hear from them again. An advice centre can help you find out what is happening and help you to make a complaint if you think you have been treated unfairly.
What about your benefits?
Your benefits should be paid as soon the DWP/council decides what you are entitled to. You shouldn’t have to wait until the fraud issue is sorted out. See What about my benefits? for more information.
Even if the fraud section or a court decides you committed fraud, you should still get any benefit you claim and are entitled to. It is only if you are found guilty (by the court) of fraud more than once in three years that your benefits can be ‘sanctioned’, which means they may be reduced for up to 13 weeks.
Step-by-step guide: after an interview under caution