Uc review

ronaldo89

Hi all. Would like some help please.

I used to recieve universal credit as was unfit to work, i suffer from spinal problems, anxiety and epilepsy. My health improved slightly so I applied for a job and got it. I started the job but only lasted 3-4 weeks due to my health deteriating. 

I started a new claim for universal credit. Around 4 weeks after I started my new claim I had a message on my journal.

We are reviewing your Universal Credit claim to make sure your payments are correct.

As part of the review, you will need to send us information to confirm your details. You will get a separate journal message about this.

We will update you in the next 7 days with more information.

I have been asked to provide my ID and 4 Bank statements. Never had this before, I suffer from anxiety and it has got me worried. Is this normal? How come they are reviewing my claim? I have asked On my journal but my comment has been ignored. Does anyone know what happens with a review? How long it takes?

Thanks for your help and taking time to read this

Kimi87

Totally normal and nothing to worry about. 
This is a compliance check to make sure your payments are correct.

The DWP are currently undertaking 2 million checks, as of May 5.3 million households are on UC so that's quite a big percentage.

I have just been through one myself. 

Uploaded ID & bank statements, had a phone appointment a few days later where they had a few questions about outgoing payments (some made sense to me like for big amounts, others didn't because they were for small amounts or only once).
After the call I had a journal message to say the check was complete and my payments were correct. 

poppy123456

When you start working you don't need to cancel your UC claim. You can work and claim UC if there's any entitlement. You could have just left your claim open and it would have eventually closed about 6 months later, if your award was reduced to zero because of earnings during that period.

For future reference also, you didn't need to start a new claim, you could have just logged onto your journal and make a rapid claim. This is alot easier than starting a new claim.

ronaldo89

Thanks for the replies so quickly really appreciate your help with this. I wasn't aware that I didn't need to close my claim when I started work. Was a waste of time now as wasn't able to manage. 

Thanks for making me feel at ease I wasn't aware of this as have never had a review before. Is it someone from the job centre that will call me or is it someone from an office? I get quite anxious about things and tend to overthink things.

Kimi87

There is a dedicated team who deal with compliance checks, it will be someone from there who is doing the review. I don't know where they work from. 

bg844

Kimmy87 said:

There is a dedicated team who deal with compliance checks, it will be someone from there who is doing the review. I don't know where they work from. 

They work back office. If it was an investigation for fraud however this would then take place in a Job Centre with the back office external team going in to interview a claimant.

ronaldo89

Hi all. Currently going through my review. I was asked to provide ID and 4 recent bank statements. Which I provided as requested. Today I recieved this.

Thank you for your evidence for the review. We just need one more thing please. Could you please take a photo of yourself holding your open passport. We have created a new to-do that will enable you to upload it.

Has anyone else had this?

poppy123456

Yes, I’ve seen other threads here regarding this. They want you to prove that you are in the UK. Ridiculous I know… 

Kimi87

Yes for my review I was asked for ID, and on the instructions it said if I was submitting a passport to also send a photo of me holding it up, open at the photo page. 

ronaldo89

Thanks for confirming this poppy and Kim never been through one of these before seems pretty unusual just hope its over soon as making me very anxious

ronaldo89

@Kimmy87 how long did your review take if you dont mind me asking? I was first contacted about this 2 weeks ago. Then around 5 days later they asked for 4 bank statements and ID. So I provided those. Now a week later they asked for the photo of passport with me next to it which I have sent. Do they ask for anything else? Did they call you afterwards? Thanks

Kimi87

For me once they had bank statements and ID, they booked a phone appointment which happened 48 hours later.
I was asked some questions about various transactions on my bank statements, and if I had any other money elsewhere like premium bonds. 

After that I had a message pretty quickly to say the review was complete and my payments were correct. 

ronaldo89

Hi all I finally had my phone call for my review today. It didn't take long maybe 20 mins and they decided my payments were correct. Such a relief I get very anxious talking to people I don't know had been dreading it for weeks. They said bank statements were fine and asked if I had any money in different accounts/isas/bonds/saving accounts/PayPal. The man was very friendly and explained the department was set up in September to help with checks that would have normally happened during covid. Thanks for everyone for there help prior to this i really appreciate your feedback and telling me what to expect. Thanks again

Rosie_Scope

That's great @ronaldo89, thanks for updating us. Glad you got it sorted

Kimi87

Glad your review is over 

I claimed UC in 2022 and did my ID etc in person at the Job Center.

So it wasn't correct what you were told, about these reviews being down to checks that should have been done during covid. 

Maybe the case for some, but certainly not me.