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Feeling suicidal due to UC review

honeyjane

So I have huge mental health problems. UC have contacted me for a review of my claim wanting bank statements and ID, I have sent them the things asked for not sure if they will need more apparently the whole review can take months and I could be subjected to phone interigation about transactions on my account. I have been in state of sheer panic & terror all day . I'm really not sure I can take this feeling for however long they take to take over everything. And they could do this again any time , I just am not sure I can live like this in this constant fear of the government. I am not sure that I want to or can live through this any advice or hope please , I'm not sure I can carry on

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Kimi87

Do you have a trusted person that would be willing to act as your appointee?

https://www.gov.uk/become-appointee-for-someone-claiming-benefits

They would then take care of your UC claim on your behalf.

I'm not sure if this could be set up in time for this review. You could ask UC to delay the telephone interview until this is set up.

Have you reached out to your GP or local mental health service for extra support while you are struggling?

honeyjane

We moved house in December so we had a lot of expenses. Usually I have my husband for support but his health is very bad now he has M.E and cancer, I was just about coping with life & made a little progress with my mental health in the last 3 days but now I'm feeling worse that I have ever felt , I cannot take this & I feel like I don't want to be here anymore the government won't stop their war against disabled ppl ever so what's the point of living in constant fear ,& misery this isn't living

honeyjane

I will contact my doctor that's a good idea.Maybe I could get some sort of sedation for the next few months . I don't have anyone unfortunately who could help & it wouldn't help anyway as it's the waiting & the questions that is traumatic & those things would still be there. I only started feeling suicidal today after the review message in my UC. What's the point they won't stop the government will never stop going after the disabled. What's the point, Im 48 so I have decades ahead of me to live in fear or I can just end it

honeyjane

Im going to try to sleep now hopefully I will feel better in the morning. The review thing has sparked the worst mental health crisis I have ever experienced. I will contact doctor tomorrow hopefully I can get some help

anisty

These reviews are routine. They are not investigating you for fraud or anything.

It's just review agents - they're checking thousands and thousands of claims just now.

Most people have a short phone call and then their claim carries on as normal.

The ones that are taking months are ones where too much undeclared savings are found. Then they need to recalculate and work out what people have been paid, and what they should have been paid.

Then the money owed back is taken off their UC by deductions or an affordable payment plan is worked out.

That does take a long time - I am in this process at the moment and it is stressful but, at the end of it, i know there will just be a bill to pay. I won't be in any trouble as I made an honest mistake.

They aren't interested in how you spend your money so don't worry at all about that. The only reason they ask about transactions is to make sure you are not sending money to a secret bank account - or sending money to friend to save for you.

Please get some help as advised above but be reassured if you just can take this step by step, it will be easier than you fear.

kittenface19

honeyjane,

Please just keep talking in here. We'll listen and we'll try and help.

I know what you mean about a life being lived in fear and being hounded by the dwp simply because you're disabled.

Please don't give up. We're all in this together. There are some brilliant people in here who know the system and can help and then there are many people in here just like me, who can only listen and chat and offer no useful advice, but will listen.

I know things feel scary, but they won't always.

Just keep talking and remember you're not alone.

honeyjane

Thank you . I will contact doctor today for some help & I'm sure I will be ok. These sort of things are too much for ill it drives innocent ppl to despair so they can save a few quid. I was really worried as I do buy things that could be classed as non essential I buy things for hobbies for mental health like ball of yarn for knitting & old Christmas cards for scrapbooking & old my little ponies I clean up to look pretty again I don't sell any of the things I just keep them or gift to my grandkids it just helps to stop me spiraling like I did yesterday. it's just the thought of having to explain all these very innocent hobbies to somebody,& justify how it makes me feel better. If I spend an hour's looking at old Christmas cards I'm not thinking about bad things just pretty old cards .We just moved house as well so we saved up to move then spent a lot of money quickly like the removal service they cost £2650 alone we are both disabled so paid for the packing service, then about £1300 to new landlords,along with furniture new house is really small so our big old stuff wouldn't fit .my husband had to buy a motorised bed for when he can't get up out of bed or sit up unaided....it's all come up at a really bad time moving house has taken a huge toll , my husband's cancer diagnosis, 3 of my cats died in the last year , it just felt too much. Thanks for letting me vent & all the kind messages

Jane315STARX

Thinking of you I know how utterly stressful it is dealing with anything U.c related.Hope you are ok x

honeyjane

Thank you it is awful. I breathed a sigh of relief when labour got it but they are actually even worse. It feels like if the police just went around arresting you for no reason to check if you have ever done anything wrong you'd be thinking did I cross the road just before the green man came on is it a crime ? I fed a cat that wasn't mine is that allowed , I changed my mind about a bag of sweets in the shop and put them back on the wrong shelf is it a crime. Thank you I'm starting to feel better. I impulse buy too silly things I like old annuals like Bunty Mandy Enid blyton books , I can't cope with reading adult books , I buy crazy things because I'm a crazy person, things that help make me feel safe . The government has done an excellent job of making disabled ppl live in fear . I have rung the doctors & I have a phone appointment this afternoon so hopefully will help.

Rosie_Scope

Hi @honeyjane, I'm so sorry to hear that your review has had such an impact on your mental health. It sounds like you've been through a lot lately and I can imagine this has only added to the stress. I hope the call with your doctor is useful and they can help put some things in place so you can feel more like yourself soon.

We'll be popping you an email later today so please look out for that 💜

honeyjane

Hello everyone thanks for the support I am feeling a lot better now that I have gotten over what I think was shock & I have an appointment with mental health nurse tomorrow. Sorry to worry everyone I really did feel so desperate. I'm able to articulate my worries a bit better now , the last as I many months our bank accounts have been all over the place money going here there ect as out landlord was selling up & so we needed to move house plus my husband with his cancer & M.E needed more suitable housing. So we have had to pay out deposit & rent 1300 in advance, removal men with packing service & handy man as we are both disabled) 2650 New house was 90 miles away & we have no car so 2 round trips in taxi total £400. Taxi on move to transport myself husband out autistic daughter with brain cyst & cat , plus a host of other necessary things like electric bed so my hubby can sit up & get out of bed new bedding for bed ect, new reinforced bed for me and I'm let's just be honest I'm very fat , I've terrified of trying to explain all this . Am I even allowed to spend money on these things I'm scared & confused

Kimi87

UC might ask about individual transactions. All you need to do is answer honestly what that transaction was for.

anisty

So glad you're feeling better! Rest assured, you can spend your money how you want.

The review team are looking for money that you haven't spent.

If you spend all your money, your UC review will be short and easy.

The only reason the team look at your transactions at all is to see if you might be squirrelling money away. They are only interested in your capital. They have no interest in what you have bought at all.

I really think you are going to be fine. Take care. These reviews are causing so much stress for a lot of people.

honeyjane

Thank you I've still feeling bad but I am lots better, but I am on amitriptyline 3 times a day which is helping me cope & expect I will need this until the review is over , but I am coping now , thank you for all the support, I was so frightened I think I went in shock but I'm much better.

AngieL77

hi Honeyjane,

How did your review go if you don’t mind me asking?x

honeyjane

Hello , it was ok thanks in the end . My eldest daughter has had 2 reviews now which left her in bits , she works full time but is a single mum so still needs to claim UC. It just so invasive, I recently sent her money to buy the kids advent calendars & you know it's worrying as this will have to be explained even though it's only £10 made sure in the reference to write from "nan for the kids advent calendars " it's just so horrible I shouldn't have to be thinking like this , they have far to much power over ppls lives , it's a case of presume guilty ,look for proof , then reluctantly admit the person was innocent all along.