Help needed please UC Identity

Kim688 · April 23

Hello, I am new to the forum and will be very grateful for some help and advice please.

The Jobcentre had unlawfully closed my UC claim which I successfully appealed.

After the Appeal they are withholding the back dated money I am owed and future payments and want me to attend an identity verification appointment (which was completed back in 2022).

The DWP are aware I am unable to participate in their appointments in person or over the telephone and they have been sent medical evidence that I am unable to attend their appointments.

I have had proof of identity posted to the DWP to try and avoid another appeal and put my Claim into payment, but they are refusing to accept this and they are stating I must attend their identity appointment at the Job centre or via a Home Visit despite being fully aware I am unable to participate or cope with their appointments.

Has anyone else been able to verify their identity via post or email?

Albus_Scope · June 16

Hi there @Kim688 and a very belated welcome to the community.

I'm sorry to hear about your situation and I'm sorry no one has been able to answer your question, sometimes things slip through the cracks. I just wanted to see how you're getting on with this? Have you managed to verify yet?

Kim688 · June 23

Hello and thank you for your reply.

Unfortunately my UC claim has been closed again and I am still left without money and the DWP will not make reasonable adjustments to the ID verification process and I will be appealing their decision.

I will be very grateful if the online community could please let me know of other options?

Has anyone been able to verify their identity via email or post?

The DWP have put me in another impossible situation and how are Claimants in similar situations to mine meant to be able to Claim UC and not end up destitute?

Kind regards

OverlyAnxious · June 23

Hi,

I don't have any suggestions unfortunately, but I am in the same situation regarding ID verification. Can't travel or have home visits or use phones. They won't accept email because they say it's not secure. I didn't offer post, but I really can't see them accepting that.

In my case, the Job Centre eventually allowed another person to take ID there on my behalf. However, I don't know whether they'd allow that again, and I only really have one person that can do it, so if anything happened to them and my UC is stopped for whatever reason then I'd be unable to verify ID again. It's not a common situation, but there are enough of us like this for them to make some sort of reasonable adjustment as part of their regulations.

TOSCA · June 23

Hi, Kim, I am so sorry to hear about your problems with your identity verification, I am a Spanish citizen living in this country for more than 30 years, in my recent UC review, and agent has asked me to send my identity with photo, of course, online to him, and I did it, He replied to me that my copy of my passport was blurry, and that He would close my claim if I didn't send a proper photo of my Spanish passport, as it's the only identification with photo I have, so I sent him another one, still not good, so I contacted the jobcentre through my journal and told them about my problem, after a couple of days, the same agent from my review arranged a phone appointment with me,just a few security questions and also a few more questions where You have to reply yes or not, like "DO YOU HAVE A PAYPAL ACCOUNT?" or "DO YOU HAVE ANY SAVINGS?" , very easy, fast, I was 10 minutes on the phone with him, very nice and polite agent, after 5 mins He sent me a message on my journal that my UC review was complete and no changes. Don't worry, please, I understand that You are very anxious,of course, no money, that's terrible, contact them again and ask for a phone appointment, just try again, don't give up , it will be for 10 minutes, They can't refuse it to You, that's all the advice I can give You, I hope everything will be alright, take care of yourself and please, try to ask for a phone appointment if You can't do a face to face appointment.Regards

Kim688 · June 24

Hi Overly Anxious and Tosca,

Thank you both for replying to my post.

I am very sorry you have had similar problems to me.

Thanks for your kindness and advice Tosca but there is no way would be able to have a telephone conversation with the DWP and they have been causing me severe mental distress for over 2 years now and I can get extremely overwhelmed and mentally distress of the thought of having to talk to medical professionals and other people to the point where I can’t talk or talk properly due to severe anxiety.

My UC Claim is closed and I doubt the DWP will change their minds. They even disregarded my medical evidence, and after making several complaints the DWP employees involved in my claim then treated me with hostility and contempt and are very unhelpful and this is ongoing.

I do not know what to do? And all advice is very much appreciated.

Has anybody else been able to overcome the identity situation without speaking to the DWP?

Kind regards

OverlyAnxious · June 25

Do you have anyone at all that could go to a Job Centre on your behalf?

That does seem to have more impact as they can't really fob someone off that's standing in front of them, like they can through journal messages. It shouldn't be like this, in fact I hate anyone using fear or intimidation to control anyone else, but sadly this seems to be the only way to get things done through the Job Centre when they won't help through the journal.

Kim688 · June 30

Hi Overly Anxious,

Thank you for your suggestion but the people I know are not willing to go to the Job Centre or communicate on my behalf with the DWP due to the Job Centre treating me very badly after I made very serious valid complaints and they don’t want to get involved as they believe there will be a retaliation and affect them in the future and they have seen how badly they have treated me.

I can’t respond on the journal because they closed my claim, if I make another claim it is probably going to get closed and result in another appeal to the Tribunal.

I contacted my MP and they contacted the DWP on my behalf which resulted in further unhelpful and hostile responses from the DWP and the MP is unable to help.

I am at a complete loss on what to do.

I will be very grateful for any suggestions and how other forum members have overcome this problem?

Kind regards

worried33 · June 30

Sadly I was going to suggest your MP, and its very disappointing that did not result in a solution.

I had my own situation a while back when the DWP illegally suspended my payments, I provided the evidence to my MP from the legislation, and she escalated the complaint, I got an apology in regards to the job centre staff and a promise there will be some adjustments to job centre staff to rectify the lack of engagement on my journal.

However there was no reaction at all to the unlawful suspension of my benefit. Once the claim was reactivated my MP lost interest. I think they do this routinely and the mindset is there is nothing wrong with it now. It needs challenging.

There is an online process for ID checks, that is possible on UC migrations and applications, so it is technically possible, but you will have to overcome any red tape they put in your way.

OverlyAnxious · June 30

Do you have a local Disability Advice Service at all?

The Citizens Advice Bureau might help, but I would rather try a disability specific service first.

I even wonder whether you could go 'higher up' and ask to change Job Centre location if you have enough evidence of being treated badly.

There are a few of us that have had problems verifying ID and not being able to get to a Job Centre, but your situation does seem to be the worst one I've seen so far. Sorry, I doubt that'll make you feel any better, just wanted to be honest in that you're unlikely to get any more replies from personal experience.

The online ID verification only works for certain types of ID such as a passport or a credit check unfortunately. Ironically, they don't seem to understand that people who can't go out are unlikely to need a passport…

Hopeless · June 30

could you contact your local councillor? By email? Mine has helped me with things a couple of times. I’m thinking perhaps they would be able to take your ID to the jobcentre?

Eusebius · July 2

Hi I was wondering the same.

I just read

Yes, autistic individuals can request and potentially be granted home appointments for Universal Credit identity verification, particularly if attending a Jobcentre presents a significant barrier due to their disability. While the default is an in-person interview at the Jobcentre, the DWP is obligated to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate those with disabilities.

This search then suggests the Citizens Advice for guidance through the request.

Which is what I intend to do.

Kim688 · July 3

Hi All,

Thank you for taking the time to respond and for sharing your own experiences with me.

Your suggestions and advice are appreciated and when I have further news I will update the forum.

Kind regards

Help needed please UC Identity

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