Stop Requiring Universal Credit Claimants to Provide Bank Statements.
The Issue
We, the undersigned, call on the UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to immediately review and reform its current practice of routinely demanding full bank account statements from people who claim Universal Credit, and to replace this with a fairer, simpler, and more respectful way of verifying financial information.
For thousands of people, Universal Credit is not a choice it is a lifeline. Yet many applicants and existing claimants are being required to submit months of personal bank statements just to receive basic financial support. This process is often stressful, confusing, and deeply intrusive, particularly for vulnerable people, disabled claimants, carers, single parents, and those with limited digital access or language barriers.
Instead of providing help quickly, these requests frequently delay payments, create errors in assessments, and leave families struggling to pay rent, buy food, and keep up with essential bills. At a time when people are already under pressure from the cost-of-living crisis, adding extra administrative hurdles only increases hardship and anxiety.
Bank statements reveal far more than income. They show where people shop, who supports them, medical purchases, travel habits, and how they survive day-to day. Requiring full access to this information on a routine basis can feel less like support and more like surveillance. It undermines trust and strips claimants of dignity and privacy.
We believe there are better and fairer ways for the DWP to verify information without invading people’s personal lives. These include: clearer and more targeted questions, limited and proportionate verification checks, consent-based confirmations, and faster, less intrusive digital systems that protect privacy.
People claiming Universal Credit deserve to be treated with respect, compassion, and fairness. They should receive timely support without being made to feel suspected, exposed, or overwhelmed by unnecessary bureaucracy.
We therefore urge the government to modernise Universal Credit procedures and to stop routinely asking claimants for full bank statements unless it is absolutely necessary, proportionate, and clearly justified.
Together, we can protect privacy, reduce stress, and make the benefits system work better for everyone.
Friday 23 January 2026
18
The Issue
We, the undersigned, call on the UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to immediately review and reform its current practice of routinely demanding full bank account statements from people who claim Universal Credit, and to replace this with a fairer, simpler, and more respectful way of verifying financial information.
For thousands of people, Universal Credit is not a choice it is a lifeline. Yet many applicants and existing claimants are being required to submit months of personal bank statements just to receive basic financial support. This process is often stressful, confusing, and deeply intrusive, particularly for vulnerable people, disabled claimants, carers, single parents, and those with limited digital access or language barriers.
Instead of providing help quickly, these requests frequently delay payments, create errors in assessments, and leave families struggling to pay rent, buy food, and keep up with essential bills. At a time when people are already under pressure from the cost-of-living crisis, adding extra administrative hurdles only increases hardship and anxiety.
Bank statements reveal far more than income. They show where people shop, who supports them, medical purchases, travel habits, and how they survive day-to day. Requiring full access to this information on a routine basis can feel less like support and more like surveillance. It undermines trust and strips claimants of dignity and privacy.
We believe there are better and fairer ways for the DWP to verify information without invading people’s personal lives. These include: clearer and more targeted questions, limited and proportionate verification checks, consent-based confirmations, and faster, less intrusive digital systems that protect privacy.
People claiming Universal Credit deserve to be treated with respect, compassion, and fairness. They should receive timely support without being made to feel suspected, exposed, or overwhelmed by unnecessary bureaucracy.
We therefore urge the government to modernise Universal Credit procedures and to stop routinely asking claimants for full bank statements unless it is absolutely necessary, proportionate, and clearly justified.
Together, we can protect privacy, reduce stress, and make the benefits system work better for everyone.
Friday 23 January 2026
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Petition created on 23 January 2026