Is this just getting ridiculous! UNIVERSAL CREDIT

[ChristmasTime2023]

So had a review with UC today phone call she stated she would up date the journal with what I need to provide.
A full length photo of myself standing outside my front door with the key in the lock!?
Then a letter from the children's school & nursery saying they attend there
A letter from the children's gp
Passport photos
Child benefit award letter
Birth certificates (they have had birth certificates before )

This isn't a new claim either I dont understand why gp letters are needed they want one for me and my partner too.

Also on the phone call asked who I use for my gas and electricity
Ive never been asked these things before seems strange to ask?
Anyone else had a review lately what did they ask for.

Partner works full time if that matters.

That post makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

What. Who is working for no pay?

That’s called volunteering, and it doesn’t fund UC claims.

Yeah but those who claim UC always agree to claimant commitments. If someone doesn’t like the requests/rules then the can always stop claiming 😉

I’m awfully glad they didn’t make us do the photos! When we claimed my DH was bed bound with 5 broken vertebrae. I don’t think the bed would have fitted through the door.

That said they did make him have ‘back to work’ interviews on the phone fortnightly until they finally realised he was terminally ill.

So yeah. They treat people abysmally.

Sorry. I do understand what you're saying. But it just seems like such a waste if time that they can't see that he was verified 'x' years ago. So rather than spend time replying to a message in someone's journal they have to look at paperwork that they've seen before.

Problem is a lot of that wouldn't address fraud, it looks more like someone who knows very little about benefit fraud has just pulled some stuff out of their arse. I can think of a dozen people who wouldn't even ask "why?" if I asked them if I could take a pic of me with the key in their front door lock, they're so used to Insta that it wouldn't occur to them to wonder why I was setting up such a shot.

We waste an enormous amount of resources with "fraud checks" on blameless claimants instead of focusing on red flags. Losing the old signing on system facilitated fraud, as do ever greater moves to online management of claims. An elderly friend told tales of mooching about outside the dole office where he worked & catching fraudsters by the very simple dint of noting who arrived to sign on in works vehicles.

Edited for dyslexia - some may remain

😂Love it!

Thank God they are getting their finger out!

Nonsense.

If extra checks can prevent benefit fraud then I don’t think this is unreasonable as the benefit bill is currently unsustainable. Whether these are the right checks I don’t know but something needs to be done to reduce it

Like who is working without pay? I'm lost here

Most of the benefits bill is pensions but don't you fret, Kim Leadbeater's got that in hand.

That reminded me of my junior school teacher..."Nonsense" 🤣🤣

Edetid my whole post after reading some of the comments its best i dont share this short story of what happened, to my friend.
As i dont want them to be called a lier or a begger.

Op your not a one.

Where does one registered disabled?

My kid registers at school, which he’s in because he’s disabled … will that do, or am I meant to take him somewhere else?

Benefit fraud is pretty low and often successfully found.

You may be getting confused with tax fraud, which is much more common and much less regularly found.

Sounds like the pictures needed for WLI.

I think UC is so super obtuse it's to put people who qualify off. My mate lost her job in 2025 but UC said based on her wage she is entitled to nothing. Dispite the fact she was made redundant last year

Such a sensible system. Quite a few EU countries have a similar set up, but here we can’t even elect a government that will push for ID cards because a few people might mouth off about police states or nanny states , which apparently , strange but true, are exactly the same thing. 🙂Ridiculous when you think of the amount of ID we voluntarily carry around, and the information we happily give to commercial interests through our shopping habits and internet use.

This may be due to application of the surplus earnings rule- final and/or redundancy pay can rule you out of claiming for a certain number of months.

You clearly don’t understand. It’s not about you not being believed, these checks are essential to prevent and reduce fraud which is a huge issue with UC. The verification documents are not stored on the systems, this is against GDPR. When you sign your commitments you are agreeing to providing any verification documents required for reviews or any changes.

What a strange "proof". The people who lived in my house before me had it removed from street view, so it just shows up as a big blur between the neighbours houses. I've tried to get it reversed (delivery drivers have said it's a problem) but apparently once an address has been removed from street view it can never be put back in.

Pensions are the biggest line, yes but they’re contributory and not what people usually mean by benefit fraud. Talking about fraud elsewhere doesn’t threaten pensions.

I think it’s fair enough tbh. There is so much fraud and people are getting so good at faking being single etc that the checks need to be more stringent than ever. Lots of couples pretending to live apart by giving two addresses to their children’s school. Being very careful on social media not to include family pics. Working cash in hand etc etc They learn how to play the system which just leaves less for those who are disabled.

If you were renting it out you'd probably have the key though and be able to take a photo without bothering the tenant, or AI as others say.
The GP letter bothers me. When I had to do an insurance claim cancelled holiday due to illness) I needed the GP to sign a form proving I'd not had any relevant pre-existing conditions, and they took 3 months to get it to me and charged me £50, saying that was extra work so charged. If they have to do it quickly and free for benefits claims, fair enough, but it worries me that someone struggling could have to wait ages and pay for it.

I presume you're really annoyed by people who claim UC fraudulently? So why does it concern you as this is a process to stop fraud? As long as your claim is above board you will be fine. You're claiming tax payers money - is it really that annoying to send a few letters when you're getting free money?