Universal Credit Payment Blocker HELP!

robbo2000

We’ve had a payment blocker put on our account.

We reported £3500 less in capital for our last assessment period because we paid extra on our mortgage and had to buy a new dishwasher.

This instigated a payment blocker. We were supposed to receive our benefits on 27 Feb and an appointment to show further evidence was booked for today.
My wife attended as I am housebound.

I downloaded all the bank statements in digital format for the period requested. I then put them on my wife’s phone so she could show the DWP at her meeting or email the files to them.
My wife doesn’t normally deal with our finances and has a deep fear of technology and IT. She was out of her depth. The officer who was conducting the meeting was not helpful at all and said digital format was not acceptable.

Why didn’t they tell us that before hand?

My wife came out of that meeting in floods of tears, she was so upset and embarrassed. The level of intrusiveness was too much and she felt like a criminal. A really horrible experience.
We now have another appointment scheduled for 20th March to attend again with paper format for all our bank accounts and savings. And still no income.
Just a warning for others really. If you get called in for this type of meeting make sure you have paperwork and not digital files.
This has been the most stressful thing we’ve ever had to do. After working full time for 35 years and never ever claiming a penny in benefits, this how we are treated. I am absolutely fuming with the whole situation.

Kimmy87

If you were not informed beforehand that paper copies were needed, I would recommend making a formal complaint.

https://makeacomplaint.dwp.gov.uk/

robbo2000

It just said we needed to provide further evidence o fin one and savings, but made no mention of what format would be required.

anisty

I was called to a meeting like this and - you're right - the format isn't stated but, as i don't have a smartphone, i took paper statements anyway.

My issue is that they only wanted 3 months' statements. I have told them face to face, by phone and by letter that they need to pull in all statements going back to 2019 and i have everything ready for them but they just won't call it in.

So my son's claim (for which i am appointee) is closed and we are stuck in this limbo situation not knowing what they will do.

I can't see why the format matters. Surely, the info is the same whatever way. They were nice to me last time i went in, but awful to me back in 2020. Just depends who you get on the day i think. It can be very intimidating.

robbo2000

Yes - my wife was intimidated as she had little knowledge of what was being presented. I do all the finances in the house, so if I had been there the agent would not have run rings round me, like he did to my wife.