Bus stop photo and UC

peteuk

Anyone like to hazard a guess at why my son has been asked to take a photo of our bus stop for UC?

I get it he doesnt drive, but surly in this modern age we dont actually need a photo to look at bus routes, times and actually we know where he can get too and from.  

Really seems a pointless task…

Spoonie_Turtle

Don't *need* a photo to find out those things but it's a heck of a lot quicker, especially as bus info can be a lot trickier to find than train or tube.

I would be interested to hear whether that is the reason or there's any other, though.

TheShape

Was there a conversation ongoing at the time that this request is part of?

I agree that it would usually be easier to check Google Maps, bus company website etc.

HillStreetBlues

peteuk said:

Anyone like to hazard a guess at why my son has been asked to take a photo of our bus stop for UC?

I get it he doesnt drive, but surly in this modern age we dont actually need a photo to look at bus routes, times and actually we know where he can get too and from.  

Really seems a pointless task…

I agree seems pointless, did they also request he took an umbrella?

Robbie64

It's not a security check by any chance? Get him to ask why UC wants it. In the past some people were asked to take a picture of themselves standing next to their street sign while holding a copy of the daily newspaper as a security check. Presumably the person was expcted to have extra long arms to have been able to do this though.

KxMx

It sounds like a compliance check. 
https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit-reviews

One of the more bizarre requests I've seen, but someone on another forum had quite the list of stuff they wanted.

ID and four months of bank statements are the most common. 

Muttleythefrog

I suspect the last two posts are on the money.

These days it is difficult to tell real government department communications from that of fraudsters... it's not surprising we find ourselves with a situation that one of those departments is becoming indistinguishable from online pranksters. Those who've faced reasonable requests like to produce recent bank statements... we've had testimony from claimants that the questions were stupid and frankly it sounds like some interviewing them had never run a household and seen statements with associated regular costs or were totally clueless like they'd been dropped in from Mars... or worse the U/C helpline.

I have no idea what photographing the local bus stop could achieve other than to evidence the area where you likely reside and that you have a camera. If it is to do with information collecting on bus options and times.. well... as above there are far better more easily accessible options like google maps for one... there's even a website that marks all bus stops and tracks live buses (very useful if you live with infrequent services that are not reliable).

HillStreetBlues

The last village I lived had a bus stop and timetable, only trouble is the buses stopped running about 5 years before I moved there.

Muttleythefrog

HillStreetBlues said:

The last village I lived had a bus stop and timetable, only trouble is the buses stopped running about 5 years before I moved there.

I hope they don't ask me to photo the local bus stop... the homeless sleep in it at night and teens hang around in the day... I'm not sure 'I'm just taking a picture for my Universal Credit' would be that convincing unless also wearing a hospital gown. I do though live not far from a famous much photographed bus stop which is seasonally themed by artists.... perhaps I'll just send them that.

HillStreetBlues

KxMx said:

It sounds like a compliance check. 
https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit-reviews

One of the more bizarre requests I've seen, but someone on another forum had quite the list of stuff they wanted.

ID and four months of bank statements are the most common. 

Seems there now should be about 3,000 staff just doing those checks.

peteuk

KxMx said:

It sounds like a compliance check. 
https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit-reviews

One of the more bizarre requests I've seen, but someone on another forum had quite the list of stuff they wanted.

ID and four months of bank statements are the most common. 

Compliance of what?  If he claims to live in village A, which has buses from town A to Town B and back. Taking a photo of a nondescript bus stop in village A proves….

We want to village A and took a photograph. It’s not a digital bus stop, it has no timetable on it.  He hasnt yet claimed bus fair….

Proves nothing really, other than h can take a picture of a bus stop.