To ask if you had heard the news re dwp are to be given powers of arrest?

[Graphista]

Popped up in my Facebook feed, shocked to see it being widely reported in regional newspapers yet I cannot find any mention of it on bbc news anywhere and I can't see it being widely reported in national media

I think this is absolutely appalling! They aren't police officers they don't have anything like the training or understanding of the law.

I find this deeply worrying that people with such a vested interest in the outcome of such actions will be allowed such hugely damaging powers - not just of arrest but to give search warrants etc too

What the Hell! We are no longer sleep walking into a "police state" we are now living in one!

I for one will be contacting my Mp tomorrow about this I am so disgusted and horrified by this.

This is literally criminalising the poorest and least able to defend themselves in our society

I may have misunderstood, not I have misunderstood.

Don't you realise that wages in this country are so low that more than half the people on UC are working?
Its all well and good saying that people on minimum wage should do further training and get a better job, but if everyone did that who would do the minimum wage jobs?

Benefits are only payable for the first 2 children

@Brieandcamembert @Sugarplumfairy65 i was working at the dwp some of my colleagues were on UC

Not all DWP staff are to be given powers of arrest, from the .gov link

New powers planned for specialist Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) staff to arrest and carry out search and seizure

However, this is just a distraction from the cost of living, it gives the right wing papers a chance to blame benefit fraud.

If the government really wanted to clamp down on fraud, they would go after tax evaders. Tax evasion costs the government far more than benefit fraud.

I am fully on board with this provided that the people who suffer when the DWP fuck up their legitimate claims also get powers of arrest over the DWP and the people who are (wilfully) screwing over legitimate claimants.

Otherwise, hell no.

And I get no benefits of any kind.

You know whose bank accounts I would love to be able to scrutinise for fraud? Boris, and other mps and their cronies who make millions from dodgy deals

Next to that I dont give a stuff if Dave down the road got some cash in hand work last tuesday to top up is benefits

Frankly, neither do I. I dont get all the ridiculous hand wringing on here about benefit fraud.

And we know who will get it the most the disabled vulnerable, this universal credit top up crap they can shove up their arse I’m saving I’ll scrimp every penny until; we’ve five weeks moneys worth to live on when we’re forced over. The rent as well (mentally adds that in in fact two months just in case those bastards slip up as they will),

I work for HMRC and if it is anything like that, you have nothing to fear. These powers are used by highly trained officers and there are processes and procedures that have to be followed.

It will likely target the most serious offenders, probably with links to organised crime or fraud on a grand scale. It takes years and lots of staff on the whole to prepare a case for criminal prosecution.

If it’s anything like HMRC, there simply won’t be enough resource to tackle the vast majority of crimes identified.

Yes, this is what I object to the most. They pick off the easy targets, who are often coerced or vulnerable. They often aren’t keen to listen where clients have made a genuine mistake.