Individual bank transactions

I've recently been contacted by DWP., apparently routinely checking my finances to ensure I haven't been overpaid UC.

I'm a little suspicious that this is more than "routine", but I don't have a problem giving them the statements requested, as I've regularly notified them when my capital has changed.

However, before sending the statements, I blanked the transaction details - not the amounts or balances. Today, I received a message saying they can't accept statements with anything blanked out.

Can anybody tell me where I stand with this please? I've asked for clarity through my journal, but I'm not convinced I'll receive a direct or necessarily completely truthful response. What also concerns me is, from reading the .gov website relating to the DWP ability to request information from our banks, is says that banks cannot and will not share transaction details, if information is requested from them.

To reiterate, I don't have an issue with furnishing DWP with all of my account daily balances for the 3 month period requested. I just can't see why they need to know I buy lottery tickets online, donate to charity or any other payment. Surely, they could only reasonably ask about undeclared income, if it exists?

Thanks for talking time to read this.

Adrian

Hi, I won't use your name incase it is your real name. Mine started in March and it is still not over. Because I couldn't tell them why I had £2000 more than I should have had we have to give them statements covering from when the claim started. Send them the statements with nothing blocked out. Make a note of any money paid into your account that is not from the DWP. Tell them every account you have when you have your phone appointment. Provide them with the details and statements. We have more than £6000 in savings. If you have less than £6000 in savings it will be straight forward. What the DWP are doing is checking to see if anybody with more than £6000 in savings have declared the correct amount of savings and do not have more than £16000 in savings.

Onyx123

They aren't interested inwhat you have spent your money on (gambling, drinking, porn sites all fine) UNLESS you are sending money to accounts they don't know about.


The reason they want to see where your blanked out money went is to check that's not being sent to a friend/family member for squirrelling away or to another secret account of your own.


Now - i'm not sure they do have the legal powers to get hold of your bank statements at all. In fact, i have seen a group of claimants online that thoroughly object to the intrusion of privacy and say DWP are mis-using their powers in this regard. Apparently, their current powers only cover cases where they suspect fraud (and i presume they'd need a court order to make you hand over your statements)


However, they pretty much have you over a barrel if you need UC as, if you don't comply, they will stop your UC.