The Department for Work and Pensions has announced a new bill that will see the government have more powers in order to crack down on benefit fraudsters including new bank account monitoring systems
As the Labour Party Conference progresses with debates on the United Kingdom's future after a lengthy Conservative reign, the Department for Work and Pensions is making headlines with plans for tougher anti-fraud laws. Critics, however, see this as a ghost of Tory policy past.
The Department for Work and Pensions has revealed that the Fraud, Error and Debt Bill will boost their ability to tackle benefit fraud through enhanced bank account surveillance. This move is designed to keep up with the "more sophisticated" nature of contemporary benefit fraud, reports the Express.
The introduction of bank account monitoring could help address the problem of accidental benefit overpayments, which has significantly impacted many carers who unknowingly exceed the £150 a week threshold for Carer's Allowance, leaving some thousands of pounds in debt. Under the new system, the government would be notified when earnings surpass this limit, thereby preventing incorrect payments, according to the Manchester Evening News.
When the Conservative Party first introduced these proposals in 2023, it was believed that approximately nine million UK residents, mainly those on Universal Credit, ESA, and Pension Credit, might be subject to account scrutiny. The Benefits and Work forum has now indicated that this number could be much higher following a surge in Pension Credit claims.
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