Lcwra frightening journal message " enhanced review team" 😭

Marley30

Hello, everyone. I have received an email this morning (on a Saturday!? and message in my journal from the enhanced review team?

Hello. This is the Enhanced Review Team. We need to conduct a review of your Universal Credit claim. You should not ignore this message. We will contact you by phone on 07/11/2023 at 09:00am as a withheld or 0800 nu stated but please note the call may be made to you within a two hour time period between 9am and 11am Please ensure your contact details are up to date on your you, your claim may be suspended and ultimately closed, and any overpayment will be recovered from you.

Can anyone tell me what this is about, I'm being physically sick and can't stop shaking panicking anxiety what this means, Im A wreck I hope someone can help . I have been on lcwra which was finally awarded December 2019..I haven't had any letters for a wca or anything on my journal.. just this message on a Saturday? Please help, I don't understand it. Has anyone had this too ? 😭😭

poppy123456

It's a review of your UC claim to make sure everything is correct. This has been going on for quite sometime and they are checking random people to make sure their claim is correct.

They will ask you questions about your circumstances, such as who you live with and any savings you may have. They may ask you to send bank statements as part of the review, as well as something with your name and addresss on and some other form of ID.

Marley30

Ah ok, thanks  poppy so I'm not alone, I've just read that it's due to COVID and checking people again as checks (like ID etc) weren't done, however I originally claimed a year before I was awarded lcrwa as it took so long with hospitals papers doctors etc, so I was before the pandemic and they have all ID's and details etc.. so I'm a little 🤔  

Xx

poppy123456

It's not just those that claimed during covid they are checking. It's other claims too.

Kimmy87

Lots of people are having compliance checks (myself included) currently, the DWP have a target of 2 million and with just over 5 million claiming UC, that's quite a high percentage. 

However compliance check and enhanced review are different things, I don't know anything about the latter but from a quick google search, they are similar processes. 

Marley30

Hello @Kimmy87 thanks for your reply, can I ask how long it took over the phone and what they asked and asked for? So I can try and get myself prepared,mentally too! Where they nice?  🙏🙏

Kimmy87

Mine was a compliance check so not exactly the same as yours, I had already submitted ID and 4 months of bank statements which they had requested, then they booked a phone appointment. 

I was asked about some of my outgoings and if I had any other savings or things like premium bonds. 
It took about 15/20 minutes. 

Yes, the lady I spoke to was nice.