DWP asking Universal Credit claimants for 9 pieces of evidence to check payments

Benefit claimants are being told to hand over a number of different documents to prove they're entitled to the money they're getting

People receiving Universal Credit are being asked to provide up to nine different sets of evidence to prove they are entitled to their payments. The Department for Work and Pensions is carrying out large-scale claim reviews to check people are getting the right amount.

As a result of the checks, officials could find that someone is on the correct amount or that they have been either underpaid or overpaid. According to the latest DWP statistics for fraud and error, almost £6.5 billion of Universal Credit was overpaid in the 2023-2024 financial year ending in April, while there were underpayments of £180 million in the same period. A total of almost £52 billion was handed out in Universal Credit payments during that tax year.

The DWP says that if someone's Universal Credit payments need to change after a case review they will be sent a message in their online account. They may get an extra amount to make up for what they've not been receiving or money deducted from their monthly payments if they've been given too much. Backpay may also be awarded to cover the period when extra amounts were missing.

READ MORE:

• DWP Universal Credit claimants warned they must find extra rent payments
• October DWP and HMRC money changes for PIP, Universal Credit, ESA and pensioners

Thousands of people are currently having their Universal Credit claims checked and many people have asked about the reviews recently on BirminghamLive's Cost of Living Facebook group. The Department for Work and Pensions is in the midst of a Targeted Case Review initiative that will scrutinise the benefits entitlement of around two million people on Universal Credit.

Earlier this year, as the DWP announced new measures to step up its fight against fraud, it said it was hiring over 2,500 external staff on a temporary basis to look for errors in Universal Credit cases. Combined with the DWP's own benefits review officials, this means nearly 6,000 people are examining people's claims.

Many of these claims will have been approved during the pandemic when normal checks were relaxed to get money to people quickly after they lost their jobs or had their wages cut. Jobcentres were all closed because of lockdown so face-to-face verification wasn't possible.

During the targeted reviews, DWP staff can ask you to send them several months of bank statements so they can see everything is in line with the rules for claiming state support. In some cases, people say they have been asked to upload two or three years' worth of bank statements.

The DWP says in its guidance that anyone selected for a claim review will get a message in their online account asking to see their ID and bank statements. They may also need to share documents about their circumstances and the amount of Universal Credit you're getting. This could include a request to provide documents as evidence of the following:

1. housing costs
2. earnings or other income
3. self-employment
4. savings
5. childcare costs
6. children
7. health conditions
8. student finance
9. caring responsibilities

Each of those elements could affect your claim. With regard to savings, there is a capital limit of £16,000 if you claim Universal Credit, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support, and Housing Benefit (if you are under State Pension age). If your capital is higher than this amount, your entitlement to benefits ends and your payments are stopped.

Any money you have that's between £6,000 and £16,000 is treated as if it gives you a monthly income of £4.35 for each £250, or part of £250. So if you have £6,300, the first £6,000 of it will be ignored and the other £300 will be treated as giving you a monthly income of £8.70. This is then deducted from your monthly Universal Credit payment.

Those on income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Income Support and Housing Benefit lose £1 per week for every £250, or part of £250, that's over £6,000. Almost everyone claiming these legacy benefits is being told to move onto Universal Credit so their entitlement will be checked at the point they make their application.

You can get all of today's essential breaking news on the BirminghamLive WhatsApp. Join our dedicated community to receive the latest updates. For more on navigating the cost of living crisis, sign up for our Money Saving Newsletter which is sent out daily with the top stories on benefits, pensions, finances, bills, and shopping discounts.