UC review - 4 months statement. Help!

born_again

marsrover said:

So I'd definitely need to provide the same statements if I closed down my claim and then opened a new one to join my partner, even if time has elapsed?

No snarky remarks or judgement please. I'm asking genuine questions for advice. Anything else is irrelevant, including why anyone might think why I'm asking them.  

There is no judgement here.
It is what DWP do now. It's a simple process (done it twice) & nothing to worry about. So long as you have been declaring savings etc.
Which includes the like of premium bonds, investments, ISA's & 2nd houses.

All you can do is supply what they ask for & then you will get a phone call with a few questions.

Spoonie_Turtle

Auti said:

I would think the review will happen whatever you do as they want to make sure they have paid you the right money whilst you were/are claiming - if everything declared regards income correctly then no worries giving the bank statements  

OP this is why they would ask you to pay back everything you've received.  If they can't verify they've paid you the right amount, especially if it's because you are withholding the information they need, they will assume you weren't entitled to anything - or it could rather be that it's the way the system is set up, it could be the system will default to "unverified = was wrong".  Either way the outcome is the same.  You need to give them the information they ask for.

We have had people reluctant to show them their accounts because they feel they will be judged on what they've spent money on.  If that is the case for you, be assured that legally they don't have a basis for questioning your expenditure, unless you're spending large amounts of any savings above £6,000.  But what you spend your income on, even if it's to prevent savings from accumulating, is irrelevant according to the law.

Or it might be people think they'll get in trouble for receiving regular gifts from family.  Again, irrelevant unless they accumulate as savings above £6,000.  That is not classed as income. 
Neither is selling your personal possessions.

If your concern is something else, maybe we can help reassure you. 

Although if it's a matter if principle, we can't help there because to claim a benefit you have to abide by terms of doing so.  (I don't know the exact wording but I'm fairly sure there's something in the regulations that requires us to provide all the necessary information in order for them to make a determination on our entitlement to the benefit, and gut feeling is that asking for information for the review counts under that.  But I am not an expert, far from it.)

Muttleythefrog

marsrover said:

huckster said:

Review will proceed, as part of the current UC process. The review is now an ongoing process and anyone on UC can be expected to provide documents requires at any stage of their claims.

So what happens if I don't give them the statements? I take it they'll just stop my payments and that'll be that?

How can the review proceed if I close my claim and take myself off UC?

In which circumstances will the review proceed? In all that I have mentioned?

Thanks 

To advise further, beyond the advice you've received in the thread, I think we do indeed need to know why you are seeking to avoid supplying documents to them as that should be relatively easy. Their request is a standard one and usually followed up by a short telephone call to verify some details. If it is a practical issue we can advise... if it is a concern over content of statements we may be able to alleviate such... if you've been committing fraud (such as by failing to declare savings) we can advise on what may be a good strategy and expectations. Unless there is pertinent missing information here then the best strategy is likely simply to supply what is requested.

huckster

If you attempt to close claim and make new claim, they will suspend your claim records. And new claim will be subject to review and will not proceed until you have supplied the documents required.

peteuk

It might work in your favour, in receiving your documents they’d might realise youve ben under paid…

As youve moved in with your partner, your claim will be changed to a couple, it will take into account their wage and capital.

KxMx

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Auti said:

I would think the review will happen whatever you do as they want to make sure they have paid you the right money whilst you were/are claiming - if everything declared regards income correctly then no worries giving the bank statements  

OP this is why they would ask you to pay back everything you've received.  If they can't verify they've paid you the right amount, especially if it's because you are withholding the information they need, they will assume you weren't entitled to anything - or it could rather be that it's the way the system is set up, it could be the system will default to "unverified = was wrong".  Either way the outcome is the same.  You need to give them the information they ask for.

We have had people reluctant to show them their accounts because they feel they will be judged on what they've spent money on.  If that is the case for you, be assured that legally they don't have a basis for questioning your expenditure, unless you're spending large amounts of any savings above £6,000.  But what you spend your income on, even if it's to prevent savings from accumulating, is irrelevant according to the law.

Or it might be people think they'll get in trouble for receiving regular gifts from family.  Again, irrelevant unless they accumulate as savings above £6,000.  That is not classed as income. 
Neither is selling your personal possessions.

If your concern is something else, maybe we can help reassure you. 

Although if it's a matter if principle, we can't help there because to claim a benefit you have to abide by terms of doing so.  (I don't know the exact wording but I'm fairly sure there's something in the regulations that requires us to provide all the necessary information in order for them to make a determination on our entitlement to the benefit, and gut feeling is that asking for information for the review counts under that.  But I am not an expert, far from it.)

They can and do question any spending during these checks. 
I was quizzed about several transactions during mine, including £12pm for my window cleaner 🙄

Spoonie_Turtle

KxMx said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Auti said:

I would think the review will happen whatever you do as they want to make sure they have paid you the right money whilst you were/are claiming - if everything declared regards income correctly then no worries giving the bank statements  

OP this is why they would ask you to pay back everything you've received.  If they can't verify they've paid you the right amount, especially if it's because you are withholding the information they need, they will assume you weren't entitled to anything - or it could rather be that it's the way the system is set up, it could be the system will default to "unverified = was wrong".  Either way the outcome is the same.  You need to give them the information they ask for.

We have had people reluctant to show them their accounts because they feel they will be judged on what they've spent money on.  If that is the case for you, be assured that legally they don't have a basis for questioning your expenditure, unless you're spending large amounts of any savings above £6,000.  But what you spend your income on, even if it's to prevent savings from accumulating, is irrelevant according to the law.

Or it might be people think they'll get in trouble for receiving regular gifts from family.  Again, irrelevant unless they accumulate as savings above £6,000.  That is not classed as income. 
Neither is selling your personal possessions.

If your concern is something else, maybe we can help reassure you. 

Although if it's a matter if principle, we can't help there because to claim a benefit you have to abide by terms of doing so.  (I don't know the exact wording but I'm fairly sure there's something in the regulations that requires us to provide all the necessary information in order for them to make a determination on our entitlement to the benefit, and gut feeling is that asking for information for the review counts under that.  But I am not an expert, far from it.)

They can and do question any spending during these checks. 
I was quizzed about several transactions during mine, including £12pm for my window cleaner 🙄

Yes unfortunately I'm aware they can, thanks to you and a couple of others sharing your experiences - I don't know what recourse there is to stop that.  But if they were to do anything to the claim based on something like that, they would definitely be wrong and although it would be a pain to challenge it, the fact remains it would be wrong and outgoings like that are irrelevant. 

[It would only be if they believed you were siphoning off money to an undeclared savings account (i.e. hiding money) that there could be any legal basis for being concerned about it.  But I would think it would be on them to show solid evidence of such an account, as we the claimants simply can't prove that a nonexistent account doesn't exist, it's not possible.]

poppy12345

marsrover said:

poppy12345 said:

marsrover said:

huckster said:

Review will proceed, as part of the current UC process. The review is now an ongoing process and anyone on UC can be expected to provide documents requires at any stage of their claims.

So what happens if I don't give them the statements? I take it they'll just stop my payments and that'll be that?

How can the review proceed if I close my claim and take myself off UC?

In which circumstances will the review proceed? In all that I have mentioned?

Thanks 

Then you could be expected to pay back everything you received. Why don't you want to show your bank statements? UC is a means tested benefit and you can be reviewed at anytime. 

I don't think that sounds right, that I'd just be expected to pay back everything I've received for refusing or ignoring a request for my bank statements...

I'm sorry to have to tell you but my advice is correct. You can't just close your claim and make another claim either because it doesn't work like that. 

You haven't been judged here. You've come for advice, which you've been given and I'm sorry you don't seem to like that advice. 

marsrover

So basically I've been claiming housing benefit when I thought it had stopped. I called the council and told them I'd be made homeless on a certain date etc and I thought it had been dealt with. I realise now that I should have reported a change in circumstances and not spoken to the council. But that's irrelevant now. 

My problem is that I have incoming payments from the DWP for housing benefits and no outgoing payments to the landlord and that has been the case for a while now. 

I honestly didn't check if my income from the DWP had changed. I'm very bad with money and don't check anything, I just spend what I have. I have various mental health problems. 

What is the best way to come clean about it? Is there a way I can delay the checks?

Auti

I think you will need to contact via journal and tell them exactly when and what your change in circumstances was regards housing benefit. Ensure the housing benefit is stopped straight away. 

Also explain about your mental health conditions and they may not add a fine. You will need to work out a payment plan to repay the money you were not entitled to.

Do it now because it will not go away and if you contact them and tell them it will be less stressful for you in the long run. They are not allowed to take all your money to repay debt only a percentage.

Take care - you will get through it.