Government to require banks to do monthly checks on the accounts of people on benefits and report back

[IncompleteSenten]

I read about this here.

metro.co.uk/2023/11/06/benefits-claimants-to-have-bank-accounts-checked-monthly-in-crackdown-19779875/

Do you think they will do it or it'll be blocked?

It sounds awful. If I was on unemployment benefit I'd feel really humiliated. I understand fraud happens but bloody hell this is really not on.

I'm not pro this move but seriously if you are a Conservative and want a "good reason" then this looks good to you. There are lots of questions not being answered by the DWP but "successful" means it met at least some of the criteria set down by the DWP.

1984 book gets more real life like every year

Sure I agree, the only limit to what could happen is our imaginations. But the thread is about discussing this proposal , not imagining what may happen . As there as so many permeatations.

if labour ger in, will they stop it? That really depends on how successful it is. If it catches benefit frauds labour will have no option but to keep it and even go further

if no one is caught, then it will go

There is a very old saying that it's not this government I fear.

It's the next.

It's dog whistle politics, which is all the Tories have left now.

Many years ago my fairly new boyfriend took me to New York when I was on benefits as a single parent, he paid

We did not live together at the time or share finances / children (we're married now)

Scary that would potentially not be allowed, wtf

https://www.sunnyavenue.co.uk/insight/do-banks-notify-hmrc-of-large-deposits

Banks already tell HMRC

That's what I was doing... discussing the proposal....and how I don't like it as I think it will be a slippery slope.

Even without the slippery slope I don't like it as I don't think it should be assumed that all benefit claimants are likely to commit fraud and are not entitled to any kind of privacy....as I said in my first post on this thread...

Banks have to fill out massive amounts of paperwork online if you start moving large sums between accounts. Last week, I had a call from our joint account questioning a payment (to a company putting in mains water and drainage for us) and when I transferred the money to cover it from our savings account with a second bank, it had to be paid by bank cheque and logged for the prevention of fraud.

For sure, all that activity will be scrutinised against our business and personal accounts, and again by HMRC. Legitimate earnings and savings, all taxes duly paid, but according to the branch manager over 50% of all the work done in bank branches originates from fraud and scams.

There are so many other ways they can “save tax payers money”

There are so many other useful ways they can “spend tax payers money” too

Another step into totalitarianism and slavery… but Corbyn was Communist ya know.

Another ploy to satisfy Tory voters .Perpetuating the “ benefit scrounger “ hate
They’re certainly having a crack at the disadvantaged this week , anyone would think an election is coming

corm I have no idea. I don't have much in each account, it's for budgeting purposes. I daresay if I didn't declare one I'd be in deep shit if they found out.

I f@#£ing hate the comments about 'taxpayers seeing how their money is spent' etc, as if claiming benefits and paying tax are mutually exclusive.

Exactly that. They really are getting desperate.

Marcella Claxton was innocent. But apparently lost her benefits when her compensation came through. The compensation she eventually got from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board for surviving a hammer attack by Peter Sutcliffe!!

Listen to the ones on here that are happy for this to ho ahead. What next? Govt reps check benefit claimants' shopping at Tesco in case they have anything a bit too fancy in their bags? " Sorry Mrs, you need to put that Tesco Basics custard cremes back! Tax payers do not pay for you to indulge ! You have your porridge oats and red label milk for gruel for the week, now be off with you !!!"

I am opposed to the idea of the government snooping, on top of taking away our rights during lockdown.

However, the whole benefits system ought to be tightened up so that it's more profitable for people do take a low paid job than it is for them to sit at home.

I detest the Tories (cf lockdown and Brexit), but they are still - unfortunately - less awful than Labour.

@Sameasyounow birthdaysetc are not permitted when you are on benefits under the Tories and God knows ,under any of the rest. You may receive a balloon in the post if you are good. A blue one.

@Thundercnut then the answer is for wages to go up

Newsflash - a minimum wage job pays considerably more than benefits. 🙄

I'm on ESA and Housing and don't really have a problem with this, sorry. I actually assumed they'd already be able to see if I was doing anything dodgy and am a bit surprised they can't! I can obviously understand it wouldn't be ok if they were looking at people bought and throwing them off benefits if they thought they weren't using their money correctly, but this is surely just to catch those who have savings over the threshold or who are working. If you're not doing anything wrong (and I assume the vast majority of claimants aren't) then why would you care? Or do people think it's ok for people to be claiming when they work or have over £16,000 in savings? The biggest issue I see is that I think it's unlikely many of those cheating the system are dumping the funds in their bank account - might get a lot more luck going to DVLA and asking why people on benefits are driving brand new Range Rovers, as we see around here!

People on benefits driving Range Rovers? Did they have their UC statement taped to their windscreen or are you just making assumptions?

Some of the right wing would love to see this as a policy , food vouchers only for a designated supermarket(tory donors) . No more shopping at the weekly market for bargains at the end of the day for you .

Newsflash - a minimum wage job pays considerably more than benefits.

Many people on minimum wage will also be receiving benefits to top up their income.