Hi, my name is Lana007! DWP asking for bank statements. Will they ask for my credit card too?

Lana007

Hi everyone I am new the group. I am hoping someone maybe able to help or point me in the right direction. I had a message on my UC journal along the lines of your UC is being reviewed to check you receive the correct amount. I then had a soft call and was told I would need provide id and 4 months bank statements uploaded to my journal and they have to be pdf format. I was told after this had been done I would receive an appointment for a call which could last up to 90 minutes and I would be asked some very personal questions! Which is all fine I have sent off everything. I have since been told by someone who has had this review that it's a horrendous experience they go through every transaction, they want proof of where the money was spent and asked for credit card statements. I am housebound and I transfer money to my daughter for my food shopping, anything I want online etc can they ask to see my daughter's bank statements? Can they ask to see my credit card statements? I have nothing to hide I just wasn't prepared for how intrusive it would all be. my call is next week and I'm worried sick as I can't recall every thing I send my daughter money, I suffer with brain fog anxiety amongst other things and this has caused me to have a melt down.  

Albus_Scope

Hello again @Lana007 and a proper welcome to the community!

I understand your worry here, but it's fairly normal for them to ask these questions, so please try not to panic too much. 

I'm just going to pop your post in the Universal credit category so more people in the know will be able to find it. Hope that's ok? 

Lana007

@Albus_Scope
Thank you I really appreciate that. 
I didn't realise they could ask where I spend my money and for copies of my daughter's bank statement. 

Albus_Scope

As far as I'm aware, they can't ask for your daughters statements unless she's being interviewed for her own universal credit. 

TheManFromLondon

Lana007 said:

"a call which could last up to 90 minutes and I would be asked some very personal questions! "

"they go through every transaction, they want proof of where the money was spent"

If @poppy123456 happens to read this, I would like to know if these statements are true (I appreciate @Lana007 was told that, and she brings that to our attention).

I believe we are entitled to spend the money wherever we please, don't we? (save maybe housing benefit or similar).

And what kind of "very personal" questions?

Any help here to fully understand what this is would be appreciated. After all we are all doomed for a review at one point or another, and what I read is concerning.

Kimmy87

When I had my review I was not asked for credit card statements and told they don't ask for those. 

I wasn't asked about every transaction, but a fair few payments out for things which turned out to be CC payments, broadband, one PayPal transaction (the only one over the 4 months) and my window cleaner.

Some will say that the DWP aren't interested in where you spend your money, but with these UC compliance checks they certainly are interested in where money is being spent.

I've gone through my experience in several posts if anyone wants to view my posting history and read what I've already written. 

Albus_Scope

I've had a review like this, several years ago now.  I wasn't asked any really personal questions and all they really seemed to look at were the total outgoings vs money going into my account. 

AtlasShoulders

My understanding is that they are looking to calculate the amount of capital/savings you have. As a credit card is by definition a credit facility and not capital, I can't see that they would have any basis to ask for this. However, if you are paying huge amounts off your credit card every month, they might want to confirm that this is not a Deprivation of Capital.

TheManFromLondon

Kimmy87 said:

with these UC compliance checks they certainly are interested in where money is being spent.

Why?

We get money because we cant work, to do the things we would if we were getting money from work.

What "spent" means? I can spend money for hired sex if so I wish. What DWP has to do with it?

Saving and hiding capital makes sense, yes. But "spent" I spend what i like, what i always would like if i had my own money.

if that is not ridiculous for someone, then we should star make a list what is "eligible" to spend benefit money for. How's that statement sounds? Exactly, silly. There is nowhere on legislation of UC a place that says where you are "allowed" to spend money, and where not.

Going to every transaction is totally meaningless, unless they suspect fraud of some short, and again, what would fraud be? 

Very confusing post.

Adding: Confusing the OP details, not Kimmy87

Kimmy87

I am only recounting my own experience after going through one of these checks.

I was questioned about various payments out and I had to say what they were for. 

I can't answer as to why they asked me what they did, you would need to ask the DWP that. 

TheManFromLondon

Kimmy87 said:

I was questioned about various payments out and I had to say what they were for. 

An example of the kind of transaction would help. I still stand they cant ask that if they don't have a valid reason.

I bet they didnt ask for a transaction labeled TESCO
Maybe they asked about money sent to other accounts

Any example would help, as it is, it doesnt make sense at all.

I also read you posts as you advised, not much is said there either.

Also I updated my previous post, its not you confusing, the original OP details are.

Lana007

Thank you everyone for your comments. I do understand why they need to go through it all, I'm just concerned at having to justify why I send my daughter money and why she sends me money. There are alot of incoming and outgoings between our two accounts mainly for shopping, online purchases and then she sends me change back. It's just worrying as I didn't know if they would want me to provide proof of my daughter doing my shopping as I'm receipts etc. I guess I will find out on the call 

TheManFromLondon

Lana007 said:

I'm just concerned at having to justify why I send my daughter money and why she sends me money. 

It could be (and thats a wild guess) considering you are hiding capital at your daughter. If that (wild guess) was true with someone (I 100% believe you send money to her for the reasons you said), they would check she does pay the things you need, or if not they would assume someone would be hiding money to another account to stay below 6k, or even yet another case, the other person would in turn push the money to yet another account or even abroad etc.

So, yeah, you will fond out, and please do share this experience once you have the call, ad it will help us all to know what to expect is a similar situation.

Good luck.

Lana007

@Kimmy87
Thank you for your response. 
Could you point me in the direction of where I could read more about your experience please 

Lana007

@TheManFromLondon
Yes I did consider they may think I'm sending her money to squirrel away. It's not vast amounts and she always send me the change back which can been seen on the statements. It's seem everyone's experience is vastly different, which is confusing as I thought they would have to follow some sort it guidelines on what they ask etc but it doesn't seem to be the case. 

Kimmy87

Lana007 said:

@Kimmy87
Thank you for your response. 
Could you point me in the direction of where I could read more about your experience please 

https://forum.scope.org.uk/profile/comments/Kimmy87

TheManFromLondon said:

Kimmy87 said:

I was questioned about various payments out and I had to say what they were for. 

An example of the kind of transaction would help. I still stand they cant ask that if they don't have a valid reason.

I bet they didnt ask for a transaction labeled TESCO
Maybe they asked about money sent to other accounts

Any example would help, as it is, it doesnt make sense at all.

I also read you posts as you advised, not much is said there either.

Also I updated my previous post, its not you confusing, the original OP details are.

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/106854/uc-claim-review-help/p2

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/737177#Comment_737177

Lana007

@Kimmy87
Is the compliance check the same as a UC claim review? 

Kimmy87

Lana007 said:

@Kimmy87
Is the compliance check the same as a UC claim review? 

Yes the same thing. 

TheManFromLondon

@Lana007 Consider the possibility this is not about you, but rather your daughter (if she claims). 

Maybe you are not the centre claim of interest in what is happening.

TheManFromLondon

@Kimmy87 Thanks for the links, its really useful.

Lana007

@TheManFromLondon
Hiya my daughter doesn't claim she works.  I have been made aware that they can ask about the incoming and outgoing amounts and I have alot of back and forth activity on my statement between me and my daughter and they can't ask for my daughter's bank statements, or my credit card statements. The only proof I have that she does my shopping and purchases things from Amazon/shein/eBay for me is her accounts but again I have been told because of gdpr they can't ask for this at its in her name. They are looking for capital over 6k with these reviews/compliance checks. I will see how the call goes and take it from there.