Automated Claimant Reviews

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has begun reviewing some people’s Universal Credit claims. These reviews are called Automated Claimant Reviews and can happen at any time, to make sure you’re getting the right amount of Universal Credit.  

Being selected for a review does not mean you have done anything wrong.  

What do I have to do?  

If your claim is chosen for review, the DWP will contact you through your Universal Credit journal. They’ll ask you to provide some documents and take part in a phone interview.  

The documents you might have to provide could be: 

• bank statements relating to your savings, income and earnings 
• information about your housing and childcare costs  
• documents relating to caring responsibilities  

What happens if I don’t do it? 

It’s really important to respond if the DWP contacts you. If you don’t provide the information that they ask for, or if you miss the phone interview, your Universal Credit payments could be stopped.  

If you’re not sure what to do, or have questions, you can leave a message in your journal to ask the Claim Review Agent for help.  

What happens after the review?  

Once the review is done, you’ll get a message in your UC journal. Your Universal Credit might go up or down, or stay the same, depending on whether your circumstances have changed.  

Can I challenge a decision? 

If you don’t agree with a decision made during your review, you have the right to challenge it.   

For more information, read our guide to Challenging a DWP benefit decision.