How was your Universal Credit Review?

[IlGattoPanceri]

Hi all, I hope you are not suffering too much and had some opportunities to enjoy somehow the summer 🌞

I noticed my fibromyalgia flares up so much from the stress of uncertainty from having my pip reviewed almost at the same time as the universal credit one. I have already done the pip review and I am still awaiting their decision, and soon I will have the universal credit review.

My body and mind copes hardly from the stress of not knowing how I will be financially and many catastrophic results appears in anxiety attacks. I cannot work as I m too ill so it's even more stressful as I am sadly dependent from those benefits.

On top of it I am undergoing a battle to get a different surgeon to fix the mistakes that my previous surgeon has made during my last knee surgery that left me in pain and still in crutches since 1 year and half almost two years..

Anyway I wanted to ask you all how was your experience with either your pip review and your Universal Credit review?

Apparently they ask 'only' your bank statements movements whatever that means?

I am asking because if you don't get somehow ready for the review it's very likely that you will be 'underpaid' and no one that can't work can afford of course, I am barely making it as it is.

I will be grateful if you share your experience so that I might also feel calmer and less stressed as I don't know what are they going to ask during the review .

I hope with this post's responses might help someone else in my situation.

Please share, in the meantime I am sending big gentle hugs to all

Take care

[misspicky82]

I can't help with a review I'm afraid as I've only just been recently awarded my 1st claim and I have 3 years. I imagine they will be asking if you're circumstances have changed, gotten worse, gotten better. I'd keep your original award report and make notes on that, use the reasons they used for your current claim to see if these were correct or not and make sure you have enough medical evidence to back up what you're saying. They will likely want to see if you're still being followed up by your consultant/ GP, what further treatments you've had or not had, what medications you're now taking etc.

Sorry I can't help further than this.

Sending gentle hugs back your way 🤗

Angela 😇 xx

[IlGattoPanceri in reply to misspicky82]

Thanks for your help Angela xx

[Hidden]

Hi there IIGattoPanceri,

When they eventually decide to tell you either way (bar stewards) because it's not like your struggling to juggle how much to put on the electric or groceries!

When we got the result they gave us over a £1000, WOO HOO fill the freezer put money on the electric and gas and put the rest in petrol for my van, since we had a lot of appointments for hospitals and such,🚑🚑 and our rent had gone up from£450 to£550 so got back on track with our landlord

We think blimey we won't have to struggle with the rent anymore 🤗🤗, We were on a high working out weather we could have a long w/e in Scotland and catch up with family,

We had another letter in the morning to say they'd paid us two much and we would pay it back over three months, We had to call and ask for more time, (thank goodness they said yes)

Now they give us £320 a month instead of housing benefit, This can be lower but seems never higher,Luckily Hubby had started getting his pension and we both get PIP and carers allowance, It's a 💩💩💩y thing to go through,

I know there are people so much worse off then us,It's just a shame that we use Hubbys pension to pay bills,and not anything else, I hope they sort the system out now we have a new Gov/a/ment (soz)🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️I am a recluse anyway so we havn't had a holiday for 9ish years and find it too painful to be in the van for any length of time,

Onward and upward hey?

Take care

Debs

[IlGattoPanceri in reply to Hidden]

Hi Debs,

Thank you for your reply.

Oh my god so sorry to hear what they have done to you.. it's what I am afraid too, they say the review it's to check if you are getting paid enough or too much.. surely they are not doing it to give people more money.. even if they can see via the bank statements that we can struggle and don't spend money randomly. Even a little bit more goes a long way for us that are unable to work.

Did they ask you only where you spent the money and why or also how your health affects you?

I asked universal credit what documents or Info i need to have ready for the review and they first answered me only the bank statements, then they added if they need anything else they will ask during the review... Well that doesn't help does it. If I ask is because my health conditions affects how I function on a daily basis and I need to get ready in advance to be able to give all information properly and don't miss anything.. they don't seems to care really or understand how stressful that is for us . Sadly I can't work so I am financially dependent from the gov.. it's already very frustrating as it is because I want to be able to work, and on top of it it seems they are trying to give you less and less.. anyway sorry for my complaints.. I am happy that tou have shared your experience.

Can you share what topics of questions they asked you?

Big hug