Bank Statements

[coldcrush]

Hiya all

just a little question. I have some personal transaction on my Bank Statements. Would it be ok to ink out these from my bank statements before putting them in for my visa application? Maybe it looks suspicious but they are just personal transactions!

Any ideas?

[the scouser]

You been subscribing to those mucky websites again?

The problem that you face is, even if you ink them out, the embassy may well have access to certain forgery equipment which will reveal all. Anyway, the visa officer is not there to make moral judgements, so I'd leave it. To conceal the entry is only going to arouse their suspicion.

Cheers,

Scouse.

[technocracy]

I wouldn't be bothered (as Scouser said it will attract attention). It very unlikely they will go through every transaction in your account! I'd expect they are mainly looking for the monthly/weekly wage payments what you do with your money hasn't really got much do with them as long as your recieving it!

Edited October 24, 2005 by technocracy

[lanny]

There is no reason to blank out any entries; doing so will probably make them suspicious, anyway.

They aren't interested in the transactions, they just want to be sure you do have money in the account. (Why isn't the letter from the bank enough? I've never figured that out.)

I use two bank accounts here and presented copies of both bank books. The immigration office didn't even look at one before she handed it back to me. She kept the account with the higher balance. For that account, the page I gave them was almost new and only had one or two transactions. No probloem.

So, why give them something that could cause them to ask questions?

[Cossi]

I think your more worried about your Mrs findin out you swing both ways.

[coldcrush]

Hiya All!

Well the minds have run rampant, however it is not as dirty or devilish as you think. I was actually unemployed for 2 months one time and rushed back to Thailand. During that period I recieved a couple of payments from the Jobcentre and I have now found out thats bad! As in repay or the summons may drop. I am at odds what to do...

I just think it doesnt look good....I am not really knowledgable in that area and want to clear the matter up! Anyone know if this will be affected or checked?

I am just a silly man who didnt realise!

[the scouser]

Don't worry, government departments don't really talk to each other and, anyway, the visa officer has more to worry about than you having received a dole cheque whilst on holiday. If you do genuinely feel that this indiscretion will jeopardise the visa application, then, as you suggest, you could volunteer to repay the money. If you did that, your local dole office would be gobsmacked.

Whichever way, you're not going to have the book thrown at you.

Scouse.

[Ollie]

Hiya All!

Well the minds have run rampant, however it is not as dirty or devilish as you think.  I was actually unemployed for 2 months one time and rushed back to Thailand.  During that period I recieved a couple of payments  from the Jobcentre and I have now found out thats bad!  As in repay or the summons may drop.  I am at odds what to do...

I just think it doesnt look good....I am not really knowledgable in that area and want to clear the matter up!  Anyone know if this will be affected or checked?

I am just a silly man who didnt realise! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There's nothing to stop you going on holiday whilst on benefit. If you've been in regular work it would be the natural thing to do and becoming unemployed doesn't mean you don't have the funds to do so. You should have declared it though. You won't get a summons for something so minor.

[coldcrush]

Clears up a lot. Sometimes mistakes make yout think a little when you want every hatch battoned down!

Thanks for all your replies...

[caledonia]

Really sorry to slip in with the bad news here but you aren't meant to leave the country whilst you are claiming Contribution based JSA - which I am assuming you were if the payments came from the Jobcentre and you have a work history (e.g the Contributions element).

Now granted the ECO is very unlikely to know this as it is not common knowledge but this is my line of work (ie benefits advice). You are not meant to leave the EEA whislt on JSA as you are meant to be ready, looking and available for work at all times - hence the 'Job Seeker' part.

It is highly unlikely that the ECO will know this or indeed care cos it is really not that big a deal, especially as it was only for a few payments but certainly I have worked with many a young lad that has ventured off to Bendirom and let that slip in the Job centre- Big Mistake - claim cancelled and money re-claimed (not by me!!!)!!

Sorry to bring it up - but just wanted to give you the clear facts!

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/cms.asp?Pa...AgeBenefits/497

That takes you straight to the advice on JSA - although they are a bit vague on the section about going abroad - you could use that to your advantage. Alternatively you could maybe send other bank statements?

At the end of the day, you won't be the first and you won't be the last person to do it - I met a few folk living in Thailand courtesy of their Incapactiy benfit going direct into their bank. Your only worry would be if their was a fully informed ECO - you could always claim they are backdated payments. Most folk have to get backdated payments these days!!

I'm sure it will be fine.

P.s just point of interest - are the Job Centre aware of this and have they asked for it back? You can def play the point that their advice on issue is very very vague and half the people in the processing offices don't have a clue either.

Edited October 25, 2005 by caledonia

[Ollie]

So is no-one allowed a holiday abroad? Pre-booked and paid for before losing your job - despite the cost of pulling out of the holiday at the last moment?

He still won't get a summons - that I do know.

[the scouser]

My understanding of the rules is that in "signing on", you are acknowledging that you are available for work. The reasoning goes that whilst outside of the EU on holiday, you're not available and therefore don't get benefit. I presume that it's ok for you to holiday within the EU as you are entitled to take employment in any EU country, and could claim that you were actively seeking employment whilst there.

Scouse.

[caledonia]

Yeah you are totally spot on Scouser - it's the EAA you are not allowed to leave (so you can include EAA not just EU countries in that) as within the EU & EAA you can be classed as excercising your workers rights - maybe that laddie gong to Benedorm made it clear that it was just a holiday - I don't now

But certainly the blurb is that you must be 'job seeking' at all times when claiming JSA and clearly you can do that anywhere within the EAA - such is the beauty of it all (well i think so anyway!!).

So aye Ollie you can go on holiday by all means but you can't claim JSA while you are doing so because JSA is no longer about being unemployed as it used to be and all about 'job seeking' (remember when the government got 'tough' on dole lay abouts - here is the results!)

You may well be right about a summons not being issued for a small amount but just last week a girl I work with got threatened with Civil proceedings for a Crisis Loan of 220 pounds -not a lot of money at all!!!

Lopburguy - you can't have had that much payments through as everyone needs to sign on weekly for JSA now so if you missed a sign on they only take a week or two to catch up with you and stop it?