The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is introducing the Eligibility Verification Measure (EVM), which mandates banks and other financial institutions to share specific information to help identify incorrect benefit payments. This measure applies to various benefits and aims to ensure individuals receive the correct amount of entitlement.
Under EVM, the DWP will provide 'eligibility indicators' to financial institutions. These indicators are based on benefit eligibility rules and help institutions identify accounts that may require DWP scrutiny. When an eligibility indicator is met for a personal account receiving DWP benefit payments, including linked accounts, financial institutions will share limited information with the DWP.
The information shared may include the names of all account holders, details of any held accounts (including linked and joint accounts), account numbers, sort codes, and information about the money in relevant accounts. It may also include the date of transactions that occurred in another country. The DWP will not be able to access online banking or view accounts in real time.
If information shared by a bank suggests a claimant may be receiving an incorrect benefit payment, the DWP will review the claim. This review could find that a claimant is not eligible for the benefit or that the amount being received is incorrect. The DWP may then ask the claimant to answer questions or provide further information to support their claim, contacting them via online journal, phone, letter, or text message.
Claimants are reminded to keep their information up to date, as delays in reporting changes to circumstances, such as changes to money, savings, income, address, or household members, could lead to overpayments that may need to be repaid. Providing wrong or incomplete information, or not reporting a change, could also result in benefit payments being stopped or reduced, or a penalty.