Profit Fraudsters owing over £1,000 in fraudulently claimed welfare might face two-year driving bans beneath 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 an extra software to implement repayments.
At present, the Division for Work and Pensions (DWP) seeks to get better overpaid advantages by way of 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 whole welfare expenditure. As well as, £1.6 billion (0.6%) was misplaced because of claimant errors, and £800 million (0.3%) was overpaid because of DWP errors.
The federal government additionally plans to introduce new powers permitting investigators to entry checking account knowledge to extra successfully determine 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 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 reveals that driving professionals consider will not be one of the best resolution to stopping profit fraud and the plans might must be redrawn.
Query 2: “Do you assume 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 very fashionable within the Driver Coach world.
Query 3: “If in case you have any ideas on the Authorities’s current resolution, please enter them under:”
“Driving and profit fraud has no relation to one another it’ll encourage extra unlawful use of motor automobiles and will stop them getting work. For my part there are higher deterants than this.” – Unknown contact stated
“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 will’t get anyplace.”- Unknown contact stated
“Additional madness from this ineffective and treasonous authorities.
“Taking away licences is taking away potential 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 stated
“Much less speak extra motion, they should look extra carefully on the motobility scammers as effectively” – Unknown contact stated
“Will encourage folks to drive with out license and insurance coverage.” – Unknown contact stated
“As there isn’t any manner of implementing this what’s the level . Till Policing of roads is healthier and the implications are extreme they’ll simply drive illegally” – Unknown contact stated:
“Pointless. Would cease folks from working in any respect” – Unknown contact stated
“Of they focused the billionaire fraudsters they might retrieve much more cash” – Unknown contact stated
If you need your say on this topic, please add your feedback within the part under. Not a DIA members, you may enroll right here
