Universal Credit Review - data protection breach!
Comments
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Hi Albus
Thanks for sharing this, could you link the specific paragraphs you are referring too? I am struggling to find what you say is there but its very long and complicated.1 -
I can't I'm afraid @Slopii as I'm leading today and have a lot of people needing support, so I don't have the time to research it. But it's it's a power derived from the anti-fraud legislation, that I can say with certainty.
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All this caterwauling and non compliance. If I was a DWP investigator, I would be very interested to know why.
Just my opinion, but we are in receipt of state benefits, and it doesn't seem like a good idea to rock the boat.
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Where possible we like all discussions to continue, but we’re choosing to pause this discussion for now so things can cool down and we can review it. For more information, please read our online community house rules. Misinformation and personal attacks are not allowed.
We will review it and if we are satisfied the discussion can continue, we will hope to un-pause it by the end of today.
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Afternoon. Following the removal of a number of posts and a little breathing time, this discussion has been re-opened.
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Hi Albus
I’ve been trying to research this and so far can’t find what you speak of, (but I’m a layman so improbably not doing a god job). If one is not being investigated for fraud, and they tell you that claim reviews are not fraud investigations, then I don’t see where they have the power to ask for bank statements as the OP states. I’ve ask the credit review what legislation gives them this power and they say 38(2) same as the OP suggests which as the OP says is PIP legislation which is not means tested and doesn’t apply to UC who are doing the review. If you have time to research your belief that UC claims have the right to view bank statements it would be very reassuring, you carry weight as a moderator so a vague input is disconcerting (which is not to say you’re wrong or that your efforts and work aren’t thoroughly appreciated ❤️🙏🏻❤️).2 -
hi,
ive recently had issues with the DWP for this reason. Would be very interested in joining someone to take legal action.I have CPTSD have no family, and recently provided redacted bank statements. To be told it was unaceptable. I have chalanged this. Stating they removed my right to privacy, and also my presumption of innocence.
Then they threatened to sanction me. But could not detail why they needed to see where i spent my money.
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So am I correct in what I'm getting from this?
I had UC review today and they have asked for four months statements which must show in comings and out goings and I can simply redact my out goings without penalty of them stopping my UC claim?
My husband doesn't want me to make a fuss because we have nothing to hide and he thinks they'll stop our benefit just to be spitefull.
On principle I want to make a fuss but is it really worth all the agro?
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I was not allowed to submit redacted bank statements, I tried.
I was asked to submit again without redactions, which I did because I didn't want to take the risk my money would stop.
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I'd honestly not redact anything @Rubie123 I think that would look more suspicious to the DWP.
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I have nothing to hide. I'm not committing fraud . I would rather not send the statements just on principle that, unless they are investigating me for fraud, which they haven't mentioned, they are not supposed to be asking for them. If redacting anything or refusing to send the statements causes too much fuss then I'll send them in but I'm not best pleased. I just don't like being lied to. They said the review is to check I'm getting the right benefit so they only need to see the incomings. Really they don't need that. I constantly update the journal of any changes so they should know if what they're paying is correct. If they told me they were investigating for fraud I'd happily send whatever they asked for.
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Do you have a credit card? My statements pretty much only show benefits in, credit card payments out.
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Hi Chris.
No I don't have a credit card. Pay in cash mostly and sometimes by debit card, direct debit.
My husband doesn't want me to make a fuss, which has infuriated me more. He didn't mind me battling them for my PIP though! Which I won!
I might just send what they want and pull them up afterwards and tell them they've broken rules.
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Your UC payments are also linked to outgoings.
For example, if they're paying you housing costs, they need to see those are getting paid at the amount that you've told them.
They also need to see that you're not sending large amounts of cash to relatives to hide, as that would allow you to get more benefit than you're entitled to, without the savings reductions.
I completely agree that this is in invasion of privacy, however I do also understand why they're doing it and why they need to see both income and outgoings.
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Hi OverleyAnxious.
I totally get that, makes sense. But they could always ask me what they want to see and I'll screen shot those single items. As for sending large amounts of money for my kids to hide, they'd spend it and pay me back whenever!lol
As for checking I'm paying my housing, they need to check housing are taking the money. So often my rent account is in arrears yet my payments are on dd.
I'm calming down about it, a bit, now, but I've now got to get into town to my bank and get statements. It's all just a load of hassel that I could do without.
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Screenshots can easily be manipulated to hide transactions. Original bank statements can't be manipulated, that is why they ask for those wherever possible.
You don't have to go into a bank to get the statements. Mine were posted to me from the bank as I cannot travel. If you use online banking then you can download statements to be uploaded to the UC system instead of getting them in paper form.0 -
I agree that you should comply with their requests. As has been said, refusal or redacting entries would only draw attention and make them suspicious.
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Hi @Slopii Have you heard of "The Justice Journals"???? She used to work for DWP and has recently been giving some very good information/advice regarding all this talk about UC asking people for bank statements BUT specifically them asking people about certain transactions. Shes been breaking down and answering what questions UC can ask by law, and questions they are NOT allowed to ask pertaining to law and is putting actual legal facts for us to see
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I have uc reivew sent 4 months of bank statements for both of us to be told.today they wont look.at them yet because there fully booked up.till December anybody had this
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Just joined the forum, incredibly frustrated as I've just been told I am being put through the UC review process yet again. This is the second time in 16 months. I am dreading the call and whatever comes next, I am going to have to put on my carers yet again to supply information they have already had and they already know my bank balances have been going down over the last 12 months due to rampant cost of living rises.
The last review was in July & August 2024, they wanted 12 months of statements from both my banks, also PayPal transactions (I haven't used this PayPal account for 6 years). On the call they wanted to know about loads of outgoing individual payments such as window cleaner, child maintenance payments, payments to the credit card company, small weekly payments of pocket money to my child etc. They could plainly see that I have no capital or additional income but essentially were asking me what I was spending my money on. Surely these outgoing payments are beyond the scope of the legislative powers they have been granted?I fully understand they are entitled to know what money I have coming in and that my capital doesn't exceed the threshold. They do not need to know what child support payments I pay or how much my window cleaner charges! (It's £5 a month by the way! 😆)
I am a disabled person with a number of serious conditions, also developed stage 3 sepsis a few years ago and barely survived. I lost 4 stone in a month and so much muscle mass that I'm not really able to recover due to my age and disabilities.I am very fragile and unwell. Both physically and mentally, they have absolute volumes of medical evidence going back decades to confirm this including some very recent medical diagnoses.
Sadly after the sepsis combined with a general decline due to my physical disabilities I was not longer able to work and had to claim UC. The stress the entire UC process has caused me during the application, initial assessment, review assessment and now a second review assessment is absolutely dehumanising.
I am left with a sense of absolute dread for the call later this week. I am already in defensive mode because I want to know why I am being checked again so soon after the last one, also why the evidence I had to provide was far beyond the scope of what other claimants are asked for. There is zero whiff of fraud or an incorrect claim, they made absolutely sure of that last time but here we are 16 months later and the the entire thing starts again.
This is not a fit and proper use of taxpayer funds, it's just a dragnet to try and catch some people out but with also the added benefit of stressing some very unwell people out and potentially bringing their lives to an early end through stress. That will be a nice cost saving for them I bet.0
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