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 can be a further instrument to implement repayments.
Presently, the Division for Work and Pensions (DWP) seeks to recuperate overpaid advantages via banks or the PAYE system. Nonetheless, 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 yr, representing 2.8% of complete welfare expenditure. As well as, £1.6 billion (0.6%) was misplaced attributable to claimant errors, and £800 million (0.3%) was overpaid attributable to DWP errors.
The federal government additionally plans to introduce new powers permitting investigators to entry checking account information to extra successfully establish fraudulent claims. Ministers estimate this might save taxpayers £1.5 billion over 5 years. These measures echo comparable 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 here 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 exhibits that driving professionals imagine is just not the most effective resolution to stopping profit fraud and the plans might have to be redrawn.
Query 2: “Do you assume it will work in deterring individuals 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: “When you have any ideas on the Authorities’s current resolution, please enter them beneath:”
“Driving and profit fraud has no relation to one another it is going to encourage extra unlawful use of motor autos and will stop them getting work. In my view there are higher deterants than this.” – Unknown contact mentioned
“One more silly concept by the idiots destroying this Nation. Many stay in villages with no public transport how will they even get a job if they will’t get anyplace.”- Unknown contact mentioned
“Additional madness from this ineffective and treasonous authorities.
“Taking away licences is taking away potential to journey to work, subsequently is counterproductive in getting individuals 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 individuals to drive with out license and insurance coverage.” – Unknown contact mentioned
“As there isn’t any means of implementing this what’s the level . Till Policing of roads is healthier and the results are extreme they may simply drive illegally” – Unknown contact mentioned:
“Pointless. Would cease individuals from working in any respect” – Unknown contact mentioned
“Of they focused the billionaire fraudsters they might retrieve much more cash” – Unknown contact mentioned
If you want your say on this topic, please add your feedback within the part beneath. Not a DIA members, you may enroll right here
