Universal Credit review after funeral-related transfers abroad and cash deposits

[Saddaughter999]

Hello everyone, long story but maybe someone has similar experience...
We claiming UC as a couple.
I declared going abroad for my father's funeral in March (3 days only, I went alone, my husband and kids were in UK).
And sent multiple transactions for family members to help with funeral - my father died alone, very complicated situation but I was the only one responsible for it as the other daughter is only 12 years old and he was not married after divorce with my mum. When I came back to UK - I have friends who gave me cash to support me financially and I paid in to my account with reference "for funeral from friends ", let's say in total it was £500.
Then I sent most of it for my family abroad again as we had to pay his medical bill (he spent months at hosing before his death).
I strongly believe it triggered UC review, we claimed since 2020 but never had any issues, we basically get top up for childcare only.
I submitted all our statements, explained every single transaction on my journal, eg. "£120 sent for my aunt to pay for funeral transportation abroad ",etc. Still waiting to hear from them, but how I should prepare? Should I translate his death certificate, cremation agreement in English? I understand that I have nothing to hide but it makes me extremely worried if they'll accept my explanations....

My main worry is that I won't be able to explain every single euro I sent to my family as I don't have all receipts. I have receipts for cremation and funeral organisation only. For example, I sent £120 for my aunt as she was dealing with body transportation from hospital, but she doesn't have a receipt for it. She simply paid in cash for them .

What was the total you sent abroad?

If you don't have over 16k in your accounts then you've nothing to worry about. You've done what you need to and there's nothing untoward.

People on UC are allowed to get gifts of £500 from friends or give a few hundred to a family member. Even if there was no funeral and the money was just a present to spend on cakes and makeup, that's still perfectly reasonable.

You sound like you've provided enough evidence. If they want anything else they'll ask. Or you can ask in the journal what will happen next?
But don't worry.

Total £1477 (small amounts before his death as he needed medicine, total £177 and around £1300 for funeral costs).

I'm actually in overdraft... I don't even have £1 savings

In the last year or so these reviews seem to be applied to all UC Claimants.

First thing to be aware of is that they're not auditing or judging your spending. The transactions you describe are perfectly normal stuff and, if they're questioned at all, your explanation should be accepted.

The main purpose of reviews is to endure UC's records about (eg) your family and housing are up to date. They will check capital as people are not always disclosing it when they should and reviews are in part policing the £6/£16k limits. The other thing they look for is anything that might be undeclared income form a 'side hustle' or cash in hand job.

That's the case for most people on benefits I think. The only things they look for would be very large sums passing through the account that can't be explained (ie potential money laundering etc), or that you were working more than you're supposed to be. But you're not doing either presumably so you'll be fine.

I'm sorry for your loss of your Dad x

Thank you. We don't have any savings, nothing to hide, I uploaded all statements from 4 months. My main worry was how to proove why I sent money for family abroad... As I mentioned before- it's impossible to gather every single receipt when different family members bought/paid for different things. They didn't ask anything else, I mentioned on my journal that I can provide some receipts from abroad. I hope this review won't take long...

We are both employed, both on payslips and earnings reported to HMRC, I don't worry about it, we are in the same jobs since started our claim few years ago.
I never heard about UC reviews to be honest, started to google, reading mumsnet and was terrified....

If you have some of the receipts and they can see where the money went & friend at the same time depositing money to help, it should all add up

the bulk of it you’ll have enough to show then where your money went

the staff are supposed to be checking that’s all

I would expect that you have to provide receipts for the transactions. Paying cash into your account then sending money abroad could have a different interpretation to what’s happened here - your dad’s funeral costs.

But I paid from my UK bank account, online, they can clearly see it on statements

You'll be fine. They're checking you're not money laundering. They might ask to see further back to check that it's a short term situation rather than you regularly sending benefits to your family abroad.

I'm not sending "benefits for my family abroad " - I simply paid few times for my dad's medication as he was at the hospice after his both legs were amputated. It's not thousands of pounds, transactions were up to £50.... I even declared my trip abroad last summer when he had 5% surviving chance on surgery. And I asked them on journal if they need any proof from the doctors, they said no...

Honestly don't worry. You've done nothing wrong.

You're quite within your rights to pay for things for your Father. The fact he's outside the UK is neither here nor there.

The only way it might be questioned would be if there was a long history of regularly sending significant sums such that UC might investigate whether you were accumulating savings in a foreign country.

Does anyone know how long it takes to get back from them? The person who is doing our review is quite active, he messaged me back in few minutes , then messaged again as couldn't open one of the statements, so I re-sent it.

Yes exactly that's what I mean, you'll be fine. Obviously they don't want to support families in other countries so if you WERE claiming benefits but sending that money abroad ALL THE TIME then there would be an issue. You've sent money over a short period for specific reasonable purposes. You will be fine, they might ask for more bank statements but it's not a big deal, you haven't done anything wrong.

Thank you, I really had a terrible time after his death and this review makes me sick, can't wait for it to be done....

Sorry, I thought you said you’d paid different relatives for things they’d paid for. Obviously if you’ve paid, say, a funeral director directly you’d have evidence on your bank statement plus an invoice / receipt sent to you after the bill is paid.

The point about UC is it's your money. It's entirely up to you what you spend it on. As somebody said the other day if you blow it all on whores and crack* that's your problem.

They're interested if you're accumulating savings but helping family is fine.

*There may I suppose be a safeguarding issue if you did that and neglected children.

The point is…
The OP has said she has been given cash from some relatives which she paid into her bank account, and has then paid out some of this cash towards her DFs care / funeral costs. So presumably the check that she’s being subjected to is around this influx of cash, which she’s having to show what it was for.

It doesn't really matter what its for. To count as income in Universal Credit it has to be listed in Chapter 3 of the UC Regulations. Gifts or contributions from relatives are not listed in Chapter 3 - the money is capital.

Sorry for your loss.

It can take a while but if the person is active he might do it quicker. You have done all you can to be transparent and it sounds like you gave enough evidence. If it is rejected or there is a deduction for whatever reason you must appeal or ask for a mandatory reconsideration. I used AI to compose the letter and it is much easier if you prefer, it also adds sections of law to your specific situation and tailors it to help put forward your 'defense'. Good luck x

Thank you, as you can see ,English is not my first language, so I'll definitely use it if they'll ask something more.
I even managed to get more receipts from funeral abroad.