Profit Fraudsters owing over £1,000 in fraudulently claimed welfare might face two-year driving bans below new authorities plans.
Whereas extreme circumstances of profit fraud can already result in imprisonment, Work and Pensions Minister Alison McGovern has emphasised that this new strategy could be an extra device to implement repayments.
At present, the Division for Work and Pensions (DWP) seeks to get well overpaid advantages by means of banks or the PAYE system. Nevertheless, the driving licence ban is meant to focus on people who nonetheless refuse to cooperate.
Profit Fraudsters Prices and New Investigative Powers
Newest figures present that welfare fraud accounted for £7.4 billion in overpayments final 12 months, representing 2.8% of whole welfare expenditure. As well as, £1.6 billion (0.6%) was misplaced as a consequence of claimant errors, and £800 million (0.3%) was overpaid as a consequence of DWP errors.
The federal government additionally plans to introduce new powers permitting investigators to entry checking account knowledge to extra successfully establish fraudulent claims. Ministers estimate this might save taxpayers £1.5 billion over 5 years. These measures echo related proposals launched by the earlier Conservative authorities.
To get a way of what driving professionals consider this resolution, the DIA determined to survey its members. Listed below are the outcomes:
Query 1: “Do you agree with the Authorities’s resolution to strip profit fraudsters of their driving licence for as much as 2 years?”
1 (Strongly Disagree) – 10 (Strongly Agree) = Common (4.3)
DIA Opinion: Simply over half of the respondents disagreed with the federal government’s resolution to strip profit fraudsters of their driving licence. This reveals that driving professionals imagine just isn’t one of the best answer to stopping profit fraud and the plans could have to be redrawn.
Query 2: “Do you suppose it will work in deterring folks from committing profit fraud?”
Sure: 3 (15.0%)
No: 17 (85.0%)
DIA Opinion: The disagreement expressed in Query 1 appears to have been repeated in Query 2. If the Authorities goes forward with these proposals, we predict it received’t be extremely popular within the Driver Coach world.
Query 3: “If in case you have any ideas on the Authorities’s latest resolution, please enter them beneath:”
“Driving and profit fraud has no relation to one another it should encourage extra unlawful use of motor autos and will forestall them getting work. In my view there are higher deterants than this.” – Unknown contact mentioned
“One more silly thought by the idiots destroying this Nation. Many dwell in villages with no public transport how will they even get a job if they’ll’t get wherever.”- Unknown contact mentioned
“Additional madness from this ineffective and treasonous authorities.
“Taking away licences is taking away means to journey to work, subsequently is counterproductive in getting folks off advantages and again to work!!
Utter stupidity from a authorities unfit to be in energy.” – Unknown contact mentioned
“Much less discuss extra motion, they should look extra carefully on the motobility scammers as properly” – Unknown contact mentioned
“Will encourage folks to drive with out license and insurance coverage.” – Unknown contact mentioned
“As there isn’t any means of imposing this what’s the level . Till Policing of roads is healthier and the implications are extreme they are going to simply drive illegally” – Unknown contact mentioned:
“Pointless. Would cease folks from working in any respect” – Unknown contact mentioned
“Of they focused the billionaire fraudsters they’d retrieve much more cash” – Unknown contact mentioned
If you need your say on this topic, please add your feedback within the part beneath. Not a DIA members, you possibly can join right here
