To think this “crackdown” on benefit fraud is absolutely pathetic

[MissLou0]

We lose hundreds of billions from tax avoidance compared to 1 billion on benefit fraud and nothing is done about it, because those are the Tory donors. Michelle Mone just stole £28 million from taxpayers for her PPE scam, she’s not in trouble, and she of course also hides her hundreds of millions offshore.

We lose a small amount from benefit fraud, and as a result everyone who claims any sort of benefit including disability benefits banks are going to be monitored.

The graph below doesn’t even scratch the surface of how much is lost to tax avoidance. For example Rupert Murdoch is worth £17 billion and he hasn’t paid tax in years, personal tax or on his businesses. And he’s ONE person. These people are not targeted yet the most desperate and vulnerable are.

This is completely ignored by the media as the majority of newspaper owners are hiding their money offshore.

I’m in a situation where I don’t need to claim any benefits but I have family who are disabled who have had to fight for even the tiniest amount to live on, and they are now having to deal with this invasion of privacy which will make not even 0.000001% of what cracking down on tax avoidance would.

@TigerRag Thank you for saying that. The most difficult, poorly paid, soul destroying job I have ever had, and I have worked in different jobs for over 35 years of working full time, has been caring for my husband. There is no starting at 9am and finishing at 5pm. There are no weekend breaks, holidays etc It certainly doesn't feel like I've been "long term unemployed" in fact I've never worked harder in my life.

Someone somewhere has got this very wrong.

That’s because someone somewhere hasn’t thought it through. As with all welfare reform it’s being rushed through to try to reduce the benefits bill without a single thought as to how individuals in different circumstances will be affected. And in this case it’s being rushed through with more than an eye on attracting votes when a general election comes around.

@Rosscameasdoody I'd be very grateful if you could provide the link to the thing about carers. I can never find anything when I Google it. Thanks

I think this is probably right. Eligibility for CA goes on the PIP award of the person being cared for, and the fact that they work won’t affect the claim for PIP, so as long as you’re still caring for the required 35 hours there shouldn’t be a problem.

Looking to see if I can find one now. It was in one of the consultation documents and talked about removing carers exemption from work related activity/job seeking as part of the reforms. It said they would be entitled to a work coach to help them fit work around caring duties, keeping in mind that the the upper earnings limit for carers allowance was being retained. Problem is there have been several consultations on different aspects of the reforms, but if I can find it I’ll post a link.

I haven’t seen anything else about it since, so the plans could have been dropped but given that they’ve been so vague in the announcements about all of this, and details are appearing bit by bit on various disability websites, it may just be buried somewhere.

However, there are worrying longer-term implications as the Government has said it would like to ultimately scrap the WCA & leave conditionality entirely at work coach discretion. This would be incredibly dangerous, especially given the harsher punishments being planned.

Thanks for posting this, @Crispedia .

The mere phrase "work coach discretion" rings huge alarm bells for me. Most of the issues my clients have with UC arise from things that are at the "discretion" of work coaches. By way of example, that included a homeless young woman recently discharged from a psych unit to a hostel, and still in the assessment phase of UC, being required to attend the job centre more than once a week and to look for work. The guidance is that homeless people should not be subject to jobseeking requirements because their need to find somewhere to live is more pressing. That had to be resolved through a DWP partnership manager.

Another work coach insisted that an under-35 client wasn't allowed the adult LHA rate for her rent, despite being in receipt of PIP. That was resolved by mandatory reconsideration, but nearly led to the poor woman becoming homeless.

Another one wanted to sanction a client for turning down a job that was more than 2.5 hours travel time each way, when decision maker's guidance specifies 90 .
And there doesn't appear to be any monitoring for consistency. If a work coach had a downer against a particular group, no-one would know that they were exercising their (considerable) powers unfairly.

@XenoBitch, I am v sorry. I think it’s awful their plans in 2025 if they win are those who don’t get PIP will not get the extra £390 a month in their UC meaning having to live on such a threadbare amount whilst too ill to work. I hope Labour would not do this but know no guarantee under a Starmer Labour govt.

@LakieLady, it’s extremely worrying :(

Another work coach insisted that an under-35 client wasn't allowed the adult LHA rate for her rent, despite being in receipt of PIP. That was resolved by mandatory reconsideration, but nearly led to the poor woman becoming homeless.

Another one wanted to sanction a client for turning down a job that was more than 2.5 hours travel time each way, when decision maker's guidance specifies 90 .

Awful. Sadly not surprised.

@Holidayinthesun I've been saying that since the referendum was announced. We will soon begin to see who the nutty conspiracy theorist is!

As I understand it, the government is suing the PPE company connected to Michelle Mone to get back money that was wrongly paid and there was a criminal investigation (which may be ongoing).

Tax avoidance is not something that can be accurately measured. It’s just people arranging their affairs to pay less tax - can be be everything from paying into a pension to moving to another country. Rupert Murdoch does not live in the uk and his personal tax affairs are confidential anyway.

None of the above means that benefits fraud should not be investigated and prosecuted. It’s all of our money and if people get away with fraud that destroys trust in the system.

Also I should just point out that there is no evidence at all that any company owned or controlled by Rupert Murdoch has not paid any tax due in the uk. HMRC actually tend to be quite good at going after non payers who are big companies as it’s a relatively easy win for them.

In all honesty I think further financial hardship would put me over the edge and I'd go from being unwell but hopeful that maybe I'll be able to find some work I could hold together one day to just outright suicidal, in crisis and definitely not able go to work. Every time I think about loosing LCWRA I just feel so bleak I really think I'd be better off dead then that poor because I struggle to cope as it is.

Exactly this.

This government is claiming there's no money so cuts, cuts, cuts. If there's limited funds, surely you direct them at the thing that would reap the most rewards.

It's just so obvious that they're doing it to win votes and pit us all against each other so we don't look up.

I really hope they are voted out at the next election 🤞🏻

Yes, better legislation is needed. If we all would write to our MP's demanding this that would be a good start.

Worried also as to where they are suddenly going to get thousands more talking therapists from and that a lot of people don't actually find this kind of thing helpful.

I think too there are ethical issues in “sending” someone to therapy, with the purpose of getting them back into work. The hope would be that decent therapeutic care would help someone recover and, as a result, they might be able to join the workforce but therapy with work as a marker of success is unethical.