I’m scared I’ll be sent to prison as I kept claiming benefits when working
DEAR DEIDRE: I’M scared stiff that I’ll go to prison because of something I’ve done.
I’m a man of 25 and I kept claiming benefits, even though I’d got a job in a supermarket.
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I did it for three weeks after I started working there.
My job is permanent and actually I do enjoy it but when I get home, I go to bed and all I can think about is somebody knocking on my door and telling me that I need to go to the police station.
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I’m barely sleeping with all the worry and I feel I can’t go on like this.
Can you help me?
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DEIDRE SAYS: Starting work doesn’t always mean giving up all your benefits.
So there may be some benefits that you are still entitled to claim.
For the best advice, talk to Turn2us (, 0808 802 2000), a charity who can help with benefits and grants enquiries.
They’ll be able to tell you if you were entitled to keep any benefits going before your first pay went into your account, and how best to put this right if you need to return benefits payments.