Meet Bene Bene, a 51-year-old special needs teacher from Birmingham. He’s going through a truly horrible fight with identity fraud that has decimated his life and profession. In October 2023, he found out an alarming secret. Someone had been fraudulently cashing Universal Credit in his name, and things went from bad to worse. Bene has never received Universal Credit, but somehow three separate claims were completed. One of them having succeeded, that now leaves Bene on the hook for the repayments.
In March, Bene knew enough to respond to a decision review letter concerning the fraudulent claims. He called its effect on his mental health and overall well-being “immeasurable.” The health impacts of stress and anxiety produced by the crisis have reached an unbearable limit. Now, he’s going on the offensive—literally—to fight to clear his name.
I honestly cannot explain the impact it’s had on my life, Bene stated. I was so terribly stressed and anxious I quite literally was unable to digest it.
The nightmare started when Bene saw his first pay slip and found an unexpected deduction, leading him to do more research. Since learning of the fraud, he has gone to great lengths to make it right. As a result, he has already filed 15 formal complaints with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). On top of that, he’s sent more than 80 emails and made over 150 phone calls to work through this complicated process.
Like many others, Bene further raised the concern with his local Member of Parliament, the Shadow Chancellor Shabana Mahmood, in an attempt to get more help. He is met with an enormous obstacle in that the DWP requires customers to verify themselves through the answering of security questions. Questions like “what color was your first car?” and “where did you go on your first vacation?” Unfortunately for Bene, these queries were arranged by the scam artist, forcing him to not be able to respond to them.
They will refuse to speak to me because they’re still using the details of the fraudulent claim and the two security questions that were created by the fraudulent claimant as the basis of their verification process. It’s comical, Bene remarked.
Further adding to his frustration, Bene said that he has been car-less because he has never driven. “I don’t even drive, I’ve never driven, so I don’t have a car,” he explained.
In his pursuit of resolution Bene has reached out to the Information Commissioner, requesting additional help in exonerating himself. His case illustrates the frustration that many experience in the aftermath of identity theft, especially when it’s at the hands of a government entity.
The DWP has acknowledged the issue, stating, “We have robust processes to detect fraudulent claims using a hijacked identity and support for anyone who thinks that they may have been a victim of identity fraud.” For Bene, these assurances still have not turned into tangible solutions.
Bene has worked passionately to combat the effects of this identity fraud. He is hellbent on clearing his name, restoring his good reputation, and taking back the reins of his life. His story underscores the difficulties of responding to identity theft. It further highlights the pressing need for improved support systems for victims.