Who else can see my Universal Credit Journal?

Nineteensixtynine

I have a joint UC claim with my husband.  I suffer with anxiety and panic attacks and I am awaiting a capacity for work assessment.  I want to communicate with my work coach through my journal about my mental health but I am worried about who else can see my messages.  I am afraid of my husband's work coach because she treats us both with suspicion and she always gives the impression that she is trying to wrongfoot us.  I cannot communicate effectively with my work coach through the journal when I am worried about my husband's work coach reading my messages.  Does anyone have any advice?

sammyjammy

If it puts your mind at rest then you could put a message in your journal asking her to call you.  Its not clear why you want to speak with her given your claim is already progressing.  In theory anyone in UC can access the journal but in practice only your workcoach or her manager will.  If your husband has his own journal (sorry not sure) then his work coach should not be accessing yours without good reason.

poppy12345

I believe all work coaches and case managers can access your journal. When you leave a message on your journal it may not be your work coach that replies.

TheShape

When someone in DWP accesses a joint claim the journal entries from both claimants are visible.

The suggest above re asking for a phone call is good but you'd then need to address what, if anything is then recorded by your work coach which would then also be visible.

Your claim should only be accessed by someone with good reason but the work coach for either claimant would have good reason to access the joint account where all info is then visible.

huckster

Write a letter to the Job Centre customer service manager about your concerns and ask if they would review the matter, as your mental health has been impacted by the behaviour of the Work Coach named............ who is currently assigned for your husbands side of the claim.    State that you feel that you cannot communicate with your own Work Coach in the journal due to anxiety made worse by the Work Coach named........ who also has access to the claim records.

tomtom256

sammyjammy said:

If it puts your mind at rest then you could put a message in your journal asking her to call you.  Its not clear why you want to speak with her given your claim is already progressing.  In theory anyone in UC can access the journal but in practice only your workcoach or her manager will.  If your husband has his own journal (sorry not sure) then his work coach should not be accessing yours without good reason.

On joint claims there is only one journal and note system, so both work coaches can see everything when in the claim, as can your case manager and any other member of DWP staff that has a business reason to access the claim.

But I agree with sammy about just asking for a phone appointment with your work coach.

NedS

As others have stated, all DWP staff can see everything on your journal, including your husband's work coach.

Even if you were to have a conversation with your work coach about your mental health, they would put notes on your claim about that conversation, and again your husbands work coach would be able to see those notes.

What I would say is that it is really important that you have an open and frank discussion with your work coach about your mental health, whether that is in person, by phone or on the journal. It is really important that this is documented on your claim. If it is not, then that information is not available to any decision maker when making decisions relating to your claim. My advice would be not to concern yourself with what your husband's work coach may or may not think as it's not really of any relevance what they may think.

PrivacyMatters

I am on benefits. When my claim was changed to a 10 year award with light touch assessment after 10 years, all my anxiety, panic attacks & depression went away. Now I have to migrate to universal credit & I literally felt myself going into such an extreme mindset that I was able to relate to people who horde weapons crucifixes etc.

The truth is that the benefits system is making claimants develop serious menial health disorders. Im not saying this is why your are depressed or having panic attacks. Im saying I was having crippling panic attacks due to the benefits system.

I think we need to campaign for change. People on benefits should be encouraged towards better health, not have a department that is trying to attack their health and make it worse as well as inducing psychological disorders in long term claimants.

peteuk

PrivacyMatters said:

I am on benefits. When my claim was changed to a 10 year award with light touch assessment after 10 years, all my anxiety, panic attacks & depression went away. Now I have to migrate to universal credit & I literally felt myself going into such an extreme mindset that I was able to relate to people who horde weapons crucifixes etc.

The truth is that the benefits system is making claimants develop serious menial health disorders. Im not saying this is why your are depressed or having panic attacks. Im saying I was having crippling panic attacks due to the benefits system.

I think we need to campaign for change. People on benefits should be encouraged towards better health, not have a department that is trying to attack their health and make it worse as well as inducing psychological disorders in long term claimants.

Sadly it’s those who abuse the system that spoil it for those in genuine need.  Not to Pooh Pooh your idea of a campaign but UC was brought in to be a one stop shop for benefits, which closes many loopholes within other benefit systems.  It’s far from ideal, it’s far from robust but it is what it is.  To change this would cost billions so unlikely to happen.  Bearing in mind they are still closing tax credits…