Urgent! Claim suspended and no payment

Hogie80

Hi, i apologise for the rambling that may follow but i need immediate urgent help.

I received an email saying i needed to log into my UC journal to read a message and provide some information. I couldn't do this as my phone number has changed.
I contacted UC to find out what they needed and to get my phone number changed.
They informed me that i needed to upload 4 months bank statements. I said that was fine but needed my phone number changed over the phone as i have rheumatoid arthritis and find it very difficult to get out at all. They agreed and said i would receive a call back to do this by close of business on the that day, that was the 6th January. Day after day i phoned them to find out where the call was and was promised it would come.

I was due my UC payment on the 16th so phoned a couple of days before to check that my payment would be ok even when though the UC team had not called to change my number so i could upload the information requested. I was assured the payment was fine.

Friday came and no payment was received, once again i called universal credit and this time was told my claim had been suspended as i hadn't provided the bank statements that were requested. I explained again that i had been waiting for a call back for 10 days and had followed up on multiple occasions. This time thwy sent a message to the claim reviews team to contact me by the close of business that day and also, again to the job centre to change my number. Once again i have recieved no calls or respo se whatsoever.

I have also explained that i am a type 1 diabetic and have absolutely no money or access to family or food. I cant get to food banks due to thw RA and don't eat most of it anyway. I explained i would be without food all weekend.

It is now nearly 6 days without proper food and when i called them again today i made sure that they now understood its a medical emergency. Ive still had no calls and tgey said i cant have any hardship payment as i havent been sanctioned my claim has been suspended. What do i do? They are totally ignoring me and through no fault of my own ive beem left like this. Please help

Mary_Scope

Hi @Hogie80 and a warm welcome to the community

I’m so sorry you’re being put through this, it sounds incredibly stressful.

From what you have described it sounds like its definetly worth calling Universal Credit again and ask for an urgent escalation to a Service Centre Manager as your claim was suspended because they failed to update your phone number as promised and as a result you have been left with no food or no money. If they refuse, ask for a formal complaint to be logged.

It also may be worth contacting your local council and ask for welfare assistance or crisis support if you haven't already as they may be able to provide support . If your blood sugar is unstable or you feel unwell, please call NHS 111 or your GP immediately and explain you have no access to food due to benefit suspension.

A member of the team is going to send you an email in a short while, please keep an eye out for it.

Hogie80

Thank you for your reply Mary_Scope. Ive been on the phone again all day. Its no use. They cant do anything other than message the job centre or case review team to call me back which never happens. I asked to speak to managers but the people on the phone wont do it. They sent a message to a case manager to call me but ive just received an email saying i had a journal mesaage ao i phoned again to see what it was and it was the case manager saying the claim us suspended i cant have a payment and giving numbets for charities. She didnt even have the guts to call me. If i make a Complaint itll take ages and im starving to death. The council dont have any help available apart from food banks

Hogie80

Mary_Scope sorry to add another message but i only received an email which was basically a copy of the message you posted. I havent received an email from anybody else

Andi66

Couldn't you go to the CAB and see if they can upload them for you ?

Hogie80

Hi Andi66 I've already asked if i can email them or get CAB to do it. They won't allow it. They want them uploaded via the journal

Adrian_Scope

Hello @Hogie80.

They should be able to switch your method of communication to email instead of telephone, so the security code is emailed to you rather than sent to your phone. That would then allow you to log in and update your phone number yourself.

When you next speak to them, it’s definitely worth asking for this change, they shouldn’t need to call you back to switch your communication method and the helpline staff should be able to do this for you.

Please also ask for your case to be "urgently escalated", it helps to use those words explicitly, especially 'escalated'. You’re not just asking for it to be passed to a case manager, but for it to be referred on as a priority.

I know you mentioned food banks not being suitable, but many are now quite good at supporting people with diabetes, allergies, and dietary requirements. If you explain your needs, they may still be able to help.

I’d also suggest contacting your local MP, both to make them aware of the issue and because they can sometimes help escalate matters on your behalf. Some people have found this leads to a quicker response.

onmylonesome

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1096397#Comment_1096397

I had a similar thing happen recently, I changed network and took a new number, when I tried to log in to uc a code was sent to my old number which I no longer had access too.

I rang uc and explained what had happened, they made me an appointment to go to the job centre with my phone and ID, I was asked if I wanted email or phone codes,i said phone and they sent me a code while I was there to confirm my number and that was it job done.

Biblioklept

Have you made any progress @Hogie80???