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Original poster

Truly shocked by Tory bank trials for benefit claimants.

188 replies

caringcarer · 18/05/2024 07:31

When Tory's suggested looking at people's bank accounts to stop benefit fraud I thought they might catch out just a few people so it would be pointless doing it. I've just seen this article in local press and I couldn't believe my eyes about the number of bank accounts having an average of £50k yet claiming UC or low income benefits fraudulently. It was a real eye opener. Anyone else shocked?

www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/uk-news/dwp-tries-bank-account-checks-29191387

OP posts:
CHEESEY13 · 18/05/2024 07:55

I sincerely hope that when Labour take up government they will take a peek at the bank accounts of generous Tory party donors with a view to checking for any money-laundering activity and suspiciously "inventive" tax avoidance.

Or are the rich automatically honest and squeaky clean?

qwertyqwertyqwertyqwerty · 18/05/2024 07:53

Bromptotoo · 18/05/2024 07:45

They looked at nearly three quarters of a million accounts of which 8% may have had too much capital.

Yes, but 'may have' is not helpful.

There are capital exclusions in the eligibility criteria for good reason.

A figure of % fraud would be useful.

Releasing this is intended to whip up outrage without detail. THAT is what is tiresome.

Pleasebeafleabite · 18/05/2024 07:53

qwertyqwertyqwertyqwerty · 18/05/2024 07:44

I'm reserving judgement until the figures have been reviewed by someone impartial - the government are known to be biased and to issue misleading information.

I don't agree with the automatic surveillance on privacy grounds, this is information the DWP have always been able to access when required.

So, interesting but wait and see is my position.

I don’t really see the difference between HMRC taking annual data from banks and building societies of Interest payments to calculate people’s tax to doing the same for benefits.

allhailtheeyeballsinthesky · 18/05/2024 07:49

I'm not sure why it's news the dwp have been getting figures like that from hmrc for decades, I have had a least 15 cases of fraud where people have had over 50k in their bank, its usually an inheritance that they try to keep quiet about and don't realise that eventually it will be flagged up

qwertyqwertyqwertyqwerty · 18/05/2024 07:49

Bromptotoo · 18/05/2024 07:43

Given they cannot get the capital limit for Pension Credit right I'm not sure I'd trust the veracity of the rest of the article.

Do we have a link to the source of the numbers?

Edited

Also no reference to personal injury payments etc. which are ignored under pension credit rules?

No breakdown between pension age and working age claimants is designed to mislead.

Bromptotoo · 18/05/2024 07:45

They looked at nearly three quarters of a million accounts of which 8% may have had too much capital.

qwertyqwertyqwertyqwerty · 18/05/2024 07:44

I'm reserving judgement until the figures have been reviewed by someone impartial - the government are known to be biased and to issue misleading information.

I don't agree with the automatic surveillance on privacy grounds, this is information the DWP have always been able to access when required.

So, interesting but wait and see is my position.

Bigredpants · 18/05/2024 07:43

Not surprised. Hopefully the deterrent effect will be useful.
Not a benefits basher and it’s tedious to have that immediate comment when people want to discuss something important. I assume the ‘yawn’ brigade also agree that people with 50k+ in their accounts should cease their claims?

Bromptotoo · 18/05/2024 07:43

Given they cannot get the capital limit for Pension Credit right I'm not sure I'd trust the veracity of the rest of the article.

Do we have a link to the source of the numbers?

Pleasebeafleabite · 18/05/2024 07:40

You should keep a link to that article to post on the endless threads in which we’re constantly told that there’s no fraud/fraud is minuscule and no one has ever seen any evidence of it. This doesn’t surprise me in the least.

MuscariFan · 18/05/2024 07:39

Talk about moving glacially, though - checks not in place until 2027/2028.

MySocksAreDotty · 18/05/2024 07:35

That’s much more fraud than I would have expected (60,000 out of 713,000 accounts checked if I’m reading the article right).

AgnesX · 18/05/2024 07:33

Yawn, here we go again. Happy Saturday everyone.