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UC Enhanced Review - Unreasonable verification process?

wow_sal1

Hi everyone,

My work coach said I was entitled to 28 days holiday so I made the mistake of thinking as long as I wasn't on holiday for more than 28 days it was okay. I was summoned to an enhanced review because I was out of the country for 2 days and have been asked to provide 6 months bank statements as well as given 5 different identity and residence proving tasks. I accept and regret my error but isn't this too much especially when their systems show I've been in the UK since I returned after 2 says? I also feel their request is an invasion of privacy and I'm wondering which database they'll store my data that I provide to them and whether they'll use it for facial recognition. What are the implications of not providing what they asked for? They say they need all this to verify my presence in the UK but their system already shows my presence and I've used in-store universal credit vouchers. I'm also interested in knowing what system universal credit is using to track the presence of claimants in the UK.

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Comments

anisty

If you don't provide what's asked for, your claim might be closed and you will need to repay everything you have ever received from UC.

They could cancel your claim right back to the very start.

wow_sal1

Thanks. What I don't understand is why they didn't just give me a warning. Unless I swam across the English channel. I have not left the UK since I returned. Not only is it an invasion of privacy, it's humiliating the tasks I've been given. Has anyone had their enhanced review closed because they didn't provide the requested documents? As for repayments, would that be installments or would they demand a lump sum?

anisty

Being out of the UK is not normally a problem. It has raised suspicion for some reason. Either they don't believe you were there 2 days or you visited a country not known to be a usual holiday destination and they want more info about exactly what you were up to (which is none of their business if it doesn't involve their money) They might want to know who funded your trip.

I am in a different situation from you as i am waiting for an enhanced review and they won't get on and do it!

Nothing to do with being out of the country - it is an excess capital review. Been waiting since january for them to ask me for statements to re calculate the claim. And they haven't even got as far as requesting statements yet- let alone calculating the overpayment.

So i am sitting here with all the paperwork ready for them and hoping every day i get a letter or call.

If your claim stays open, they prefer to reduce your UC to reclaim payments and they aren't allowed to leave you in hardship so they will take a small amount over a long period of time.

If your claim closes, they prefer a lump sum but, at the end of the day, they want the money back so debt management will work out a payment plan you can afford if a lump sum isn't possible.

scopefriend123

With regards to the Universal Credit discussions I find this most cruel I believe that Universal Credit is there to help and support people not give them hardship and poverty this welfare system should be more respectful and considerate to people's needs.

Kenny

wow_sal1

Thanks for your opinions Anisty. I don't see how it's any of their business who funded my trip? 2 days is not enough to start wondering how someone could afford a trip. If it was say a month then I could imagine they could think how can this claimant afford this holiday on their meager universal credit allowance. They told me that their system shows that I left the UK on a particular date and returned exactly 2 days later so why do they not believe I was there only 2 days? I wonder what country they consider not to be a holiday destination?

If they keep postponing your enhanced review why don't you close it? That must be stressful, being put on hold like that.

wow_sal1

Is it normal for them not to suspend your claim during an enhanced review? I still received my monthly payment. Although if I don't provide the documents they requested, they might suspend my claim.

anisty

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1017392#Comment_1017392

I am not the claimant in "my" case - i am the appointee for my adult son.

They closed his claim in jan 25 for capital over 16k, but they failed to apply COL disregard.

His capital never exceeded 16k with the disregard.

However, he had 13k savings correctly declared but i failed to declare his bank account each month - he often had a few hundred lying in there. I just did not realise that counted as capital. So his claim has been wrong for 6 YEARS!!

I have told them about my mistake but they seem in no hurry to collect their money. It should be about 2.5k if i have calculated right.

I know they haven't even started looking at it because they have not yet asked for the 6 years worth of statements.

In your case, i was only guessing at the way they might be thinking - i might be way off the mark.