How do the DWP know what you are earning when getting Universal Credit?

ict_guy

Just a quick question, with regards to Universal Credit, how do the DWP know what you may be earning if your income is not declared? Or, what if a change in circumstances is not declared? Is the whole system based on trust? Seems odd if it is..... Are pensions known to them? I know that it would be fraud by not declaring things, but in this climate, surely many people are quite selective in what they disclose? I am not advocating anything dishonest, I am merely asking questions.

Spoonie_Turtle

ict_guy said:

Just a quick question, with regards to Universal Credit, how do the DWP know what you may be earning if your income is not declared? Or, what if a change in circumstances is not declared? Is the whole system based on trust? Seems odd if it is..... Are pensions known to them? I know that it would be fraud by not declaring things, but in this climate, surely many people are quite selective in what they disclose? I am not advocating anything dishonest, I am merely asking questions.

Earnings are reported via HMRC, if not then you are expected to declare them yourself. They do data matching with various organisations and will eventually find out about any undeclared bank accounts, undeclared pensions, change of address / partner moving in or out, etc. Any overpayment is repayable by law, even if it was due to official error, but overpayment due to undeclared information (negligence or fraud) could have a fine imposed as well as the money recovered.

[Deleted User]

Even the banking industry has employed people who have gone on to abuse their position. Anyone can get a job with DWP even reformed ex crims and don’t get me started on those who suddenly are able to get a second job alongside working at DWP.  As someone who had their job centre appointment cancelled half hour before arriving on 3rd February 2020 as I was walking the couple of miles there (pre Covid19) and told simply not to attend I would gladly have sat all day in the centre for someone to speak to me for just 10 precious minutes, after all enough of these tv documentaries show 10 minute appointments happening, but for me on the 3rd it wasn’t possible, not even to be spoken to by telephone, subsequently later that month I had a telephone appointment with the job centre knowing I was in work - suspiciously in June this appointment was said to have been cancelled (very weird) when I’ve recently looked over my journal. 

I would love to know how you pay out an advance followed 8 days later by someone’s benefit for month in full without any minus of that advance - I’m convinced very sadly if you get off UC as quick as you get on there is trouble. I spent weeks communicating with what felt like a brick wall in March through to May.
Nonetheless, when I called debt management about their ‘quick range’ letters received which finally bothered showed up quite late on, they couldn’t be nicer saying they are not part of DWP and said my Employer was right I  can pay over 10 months and used the word ‘affordability’ many times over. At which I said lucky for them I worked for a rather laid back Employer because I imagine all sorts of conclusions could be jumped too, and I could have lost my job so very easily.

[Deleted User]

We live in difficult times, as regarding not informing the DWP of any changes trust me they will get you one day, before covid we often saw cases where the DWP were chasing small debts/overpayment after 20 years !

ict_guy

venison said:

We live in difficult times, as regarding not informing the DWP of any changes trust me they will get you one day, before covid we often saw cases where the DWP were chasing small debts/overpayment after 20 years !

I use the logic that it’s always best to be honest. Integrity is everything. I did read recently though of a woman defrauding the benefit systems by over £1m.....Unbelievable!!

Savvy_Sue

And I thought PIP wasn't means-tested in any event.

Spoonie_Turtle

Savvy_Sue said:

And I thought PIP wasn't means-tested in any event.

It isn't, and the original question was about UC and earnings/pensions! No idea why that poster decided to bring PIP into it at all.