UC MR dropped when claim closed

Has anyone else come across this?

Claimant submits MR over phone when UC refused due to too much capital (which the claimant cannot legally dispose of). DWP respond to say that an MR cannot be processed for a closed UC claim - that the claimant must open a new UC claim to submit an MR.

Nothing new here, just the unfortunately standard process of obstructing access to justice. There are template JR letters available to deal with this on the CPAG website: https://cpag.org.uk/welfare-rights/judicial-review/judicial-review-pre-action-letters/mandatory-reconsideration

However, the DWP call handler said this was due to a “new policy”.

I’ll follow up with DWP contacts to see what’s happened in this particular case (as well as advise client on JR), but I’d be interested to hear whether anyone else has come across this “new policy”?