Standard UC Review taken 10 months so far & harming my mental health

[MenoFruitcake]

I posted here several weeks ago but I can’t find my original post. And there’ve been updates since then anyway.
Long story short, I was contacted for a standard UC review in early january this year. My previous review had been roughly one year prior and was fast and without issue. I submitted the requested documents (4 months bank statements and proof of tenancy) well within the time frame they gave. Then I heard nothing. I reached out around April to ask if they have everything they need. I received a curt reply in May saying they will contact me when they are ready to do the interview.

In July I finally heard back. This was now a different agent and she apologised for the delay and said she had no idea why it’s taken so long. So by now it’s six months since I sent everything in. Then she said Oh you’ve not sent us all the documents. I asked her to clarify what’s missing. It took her about two weeks to come back and say Oh sorry actually you have sent in all the documents.
Another three weeks go by then she finally schedules me the phone interview for late August. Exactly one minute before the interview is due I receive a text saying it’s been cancelled due to “technical issues.”
Eventually two weeks later another interview is scheduled. This one she actually does attend. During the interview she says she has all my documents, asks me a few questions about my rent and transactions. Then she says I have all I need but since so many months have passed since you sending in your documents I need your most recent four months bank statements for all your savings, current accounts etc. So I’m given two weeks to send these in. I have a lot of old accounts that have like £1 in them. I am also dealing with severe mental health conditions and medications that affect my cognitive abilities. So it takes me five hours to upload all this stuff yet again.
A week later I receive a new phone interview appointment from her with no explanation. It just says this appointment is scheduled for 15 minutes. (The previous ones were scheduled for 30 minutes).

When will this end? It’s been coming up TEN MONTHS now. My anxiety is through the roof and I’m having to cancel a much needed psychiatrist appointment to attend this latest UC Review.

It sounds a hassle but the shorter appointment time suggests it’s just to close it off. Are you still receiving your payments throughout this?

Thanks for your reply. Yes the payments continue because I’ve complied with everything they’ve asked.

not sure why she couldn’t have closed it off without another phone interview? Or is this standard for them?

Close the accounts with such small amounts in. 5 hours to upload some bank statements and tenancy information is ridiculous.

It’s not great but it’s just admin. Docs go awry, meetings get cancelled last min, things slip through the net. It’s normal working shit in a flawed system and in reality it’s just been uploading some docs and a bit of back n forth, though I appreciate you have other struggles going on that make things harder and more stressful. Try not to let it take up headspace. You’ve still got the payments and still will when it’s closed off. Hope your review is sorted soon and the psych appointment gets rescheduled.

Close the accounts you don't use anymore. Agree fully with pp, it's just a few hours admin and a couple of calls, all in all less than a days work for a lot more money.

It’s not “ridiculous” when you’re battling severe mental health and cognitive issues.

Tbh prior to my mental health worsening 2.5 years ago I’d been working full time my entire life and much of that time as a higher rate tax payer. So I don’t see UC as money for nothing. I’ve paid heavily into the system for a good 40 years.

Agree with pp, consolidate/close your accounts so that it’s easier to upload documents going forward. Hopefully this 15 min interview will be the end of this review process which sounds beyond frustrating.

I'm a higher rate tax payer too, and understand that if circumstances change and I need to claim benefits there will be hoops to jump through at times.

Are there any support services through UC that can help you with the paperwork?

I might

1. Make a formal complaint
2. Ask them to provide the legislation that justifies this review and
3. Take it up with my MP in particular point out the amount of staff time involved because of the mess they are making of it

So the 15 minute interview will be to update whatever capital you have left in your accounts after all deductions and disregards are done. Even if the amount is £0 we need permission to do this which is what the call is for. The call itself probably won’t last more than 3 minutes and then the review will be closed (providing your circumstances haven’t changed).

In regards to the length of time, unfortunately our management are completely shit and staff turnover is high. I’ve taken over a number of reviews that have been open for longer than 6 months, where the agent has left and management have just left the review open and not allocated it to anyone else for months.

There’s a reason DWP are terminating the private contract and bringing all reviews back in house.

1.Short appointment time is usually given for someone with no suspected fraud, questions to ask, etc. People can get various times - 15/30/60 mins.
2.They have issues with staff, low wage and constant performance checks .I have friend who worked for review team. Lots of them leaving after first few months, so all their reviews are being submitted for another agent. Sometimes it takes more than a year if your review was transferred to another agent, the agent was on sick/holiday, etc.

Thanks a lot for this comment. I reached out to her via the journal and she said exactly what you said about the point of this latest interview.

I’m sorry you’re going through this. I really appreciate the effect this can have especially when you’re already struggling with mental health. I went through something similar with them and it took its toll. Also, personally, I wouldn’t worry about closing accounts etc until you feel up to it. Something that seems like a small admin job to some people can be completely overwhelming at times for others and this delay hasn’t been caused by a few accounts with a couple of pound in them.

You could talk to Citizens Advice, sometimes they can talk to UC on your behalf or they might have other support for you.

If you feel up to it I would make a complaint, I’ve used it myself and found it worthwhile.
https://makeacomplaint.dwp.gov.uk/

Thank you for your kind words. It can feel quite lonely when people whose mental health is not quite in the absolute state mine is in don’t understand how even tasks that seem no biggie at all for most people can feel almost insurmountable when you are in this state.

I reached out to this person on my journal and she has explained that it’s literally just some kind of declaration on my latest savings balance and that it will take no time at all.

if she’d said that in the first place I’d not have panicked :)

So she called today, later than the scheduled time, and just immediately said she has another call to get to so she doesn’t have time to speak to me today.

she said she will send through a new appointment at some point.

She shouldn’t have done that! It would have literally only taken her 2 minutes! I’d definitely look into making a complaint if you feel up to it.

I don’t understand why she did that. She’s now sent a new appointment through for Friday. I hope it will go ahead properly because I genuinely think this is getting ridiculous.

It’s finally complete!

That’s great news!

Pretty soon all these reviews will be accomplished by AI bots and that should be much less uncertain.

Well, mental and physical disabilities affect a lot of high rate tax layers.

But if things change and you’re asking for taxpayers money, there are hops that ALL have to jump through. What you’d been before isn’t relevant.

If you’re still getting paid, then all good.,

Complain via your journal and contact your MP