Universal credit - can they vet your spending?

[Eileen101]

My husband left us (me and two children) 6 months ago and I have recently made a universal credit claim to help get me on to an even keel.
I work full time so it'll only be a small amount.

On one hand I'm looking forward to hearing from them regarding the first payment to ease the pressure a bit. But I hear that UC can contact you to query various entries in your bank account. Am I being anxious or to what extent can current UC claimants report on how much UC vet your spending during reviews? Or are they just concerned about what comes in?

They don't care what you spend it on. Unless maybe they checked and the payments were going to things marked 'isis' or 'smack dealer from dark web'.

It's more to check you're not either working off the books, or laundering money for criminals. So if large sums go into an account that usually only received UC, then is removed again swiftly afterwards and there's a pattern then that would raise alarm bells.

I was made to supply my bank statements once because I got a payment from a past employer for a job that was cancelled, but it was years earlier. Before I was even officially claiming. I explained myself but it was pretty heavy handed given it was £40?!

While they say they only want to see what’s coming into your bank accounts, they also will question you on your outgoings.

They asked my daughter about her spending, nothing come of it though. She has a severely autistic son so her outgoings can be higher than most

@DragonFly98 my daughter recently had a cheque from the la for failure to provide provision in ehcp. I put this in her savings account as its hers but I did withdraw some into my account to pay for some hydrotherapy, ot equipment and a specialist bath panel. Of this financial remedy I only received £100 my daughter 2800 so the remainder is hers. Is this included as income for me even though it's hers and the cheque was deposited to her? I have my review and I am bit worried. I think this cheque triggered the review as she only received it last month

Are you aloud voulantry gifts from partner each month ecpesically while pregnant and will my money be stopped because of this

Can my partner send me voulantry gifts each month especially while being pregnant and will this stop my money?

I having my review now, well my son is they checking what he pays and asking about cash withdrawals, he pays me a monthly amount towards bills but saying about taking so much out a month not good but he buys buses which are 80 pound a time