I do have a conviction yes. It will be spent after a year as far as I know.

So many people have said to just tick the no box and I feel so conflicted about doing it as I am such a honest person LOL, although my record says otherwise to employers I suppose.

Good luck with your other interview pineapplethief

That is very true

Could really have done with being able to get a job, as I've just had to start looking for car insurance prices and it's going to cost me an extra £500 this year. I know it's only one year, as they I won't have to disclose it but fgs.

Hi, I'm new to the forum and find myself here after getting a criminal conviction in December of last year. I'll try to be brief, but I do tend to waffle on lol.

Basically at the end of November 2014 I received a summons to court for Dishonestly failing to declare a change in circumstances, to the city council, resulting in me getting housing and council tax benefit when I was self employed. I'd been interviewed under caution about this 18mths prior and provided them with evidence asked for, but heard nothing from them in 12mths. I had less than 2 weeks to plan for my day in court, whereas they'd had much longer.

The charged stemmed from when I was working as a self employed childminder. I'd signed off JSA and registered as self employed, informed tax credits etc and thought I had told the housing department. I hadn't paid much attention to letters from them, as because my earnings from self employment were so low (£50 a week) I was still entitled to full housing and council tax benefit anyway, so nothing would have changed there anyway.

Originally I was charged with two counts of dishonestly failing to notify, but that meant I had deliberatly set out to deceive and gain money, which I hadn't, and so I wanted to plead not guilty. I was told that there was a chance, although small, that I could be given a prison sentence. I am a single parent of 3, one whom has mental health problems, and so I just couldn't take the risk. I explained my position to my barrister and he suggested that he ask the prosecution if they would accept a guilty plea to just failing to notify, so taking away the dishonestly part, and they agreed, so I plead guilty.
The magistrates at the hearing accepted that I had informed everyone else that I needed to, and that it seemed to be an oversight on my part, but that it was my own fault for not taking more care. I was fined £500 and ordered to pay £120 costs, plus repay all of the benefits i'd received (despite being entitled to them anyway).

Since then life has just stopped, I can't get a job doing anything at all, and my future hopes of going to college and then onto university to study nursing are pretty much over. I am 'lucky' in that at the moment I am not being made to look for work, as I am carer for my daughter, but I want to work.

I feel so angry that what was basically a mistake has ended up with my probably having to spend my life on benefits

Thank you for the replies. I know things could be worse and I am sure someone will give me a chance eventually, it's just hard going isn't it. I applied for a job at Greggs yesterday and got a NO from them this morning. I'd heard that they give people with convictions a chance, so that was even more disappointing.

We have a new B&M store opening nearby soon so I will try there. At the moment i'd be willing to work anywhere that would have me tbh, just to get my foot back in the door.

I just feel like I have really let my kids down

Thank you have now got a much cheaper quote with one of those

Ah thank you Kate, it was very nice of you to post your experiences and I am so glad things have worked out well for you.

Can I just check though, I thought that even once spent, a conviction would still show up on a DBS check ? Have I got that wrong ??

Still not having any luck finding a job It is so frustrating.

Tried to apply at KFC and yet again didn't even get to complete the whole form, because as soon as it asked about criminal records and I replied yes, I was suddenly unsuitable for serving up fried chicken.

I know, I am just worried if I get caught out lying, I will look even worse. Like you say though, I need to weigh it up. I need a part time job so that I can go back to college in Sept. No job = no college = no chance of uni at all.

There are three different types of DBS checks and guidance about them is here.

As Damag3d says, some offences are 'filtered' and the guidance for that is on this page. Surprisingly possession of an offensive weapon will be filtered but destroying a Channel Tunnel train or pointing an offensive weapon against the Sovereign will never be filtered. There's a spreadsheet on one of the filtering guides that lists all of the offences that are never filtered. I'm not an expert but I think yours should be filtered - albeit in 11 years time.

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I haven't stolen any Pineapples, but they are a great prog rock band!

I havent stolen any Pineapples, but they are a great prog rock band!