Profit Fraudsters owing over £1,000 in fraudulently claimed welfare might face two-year driving bans beneath new authorities plans.
Whereas extreme instances of profit fraud can already result in imprisonment, Work and Pensions Minister Alison McGovern has emphasised that this new method can be a further software to implement repayments.
Presently, the Division for Work and Pensions (DWP) seeks to recuperate 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 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 determine 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 determination, the DIA determined to survey its members. Listed here are the outcomes:
Query 1: “Do you agree with the Authorities’s determination 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 determination to strip profit fraudsters of their driving licence. This exhibits that driving professionals consider shouldn’t be the most effective resolution to stopping profit fraud and the plans could must be redrawn.
Query 2: “Do you suppose this can 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 gained’t be highly regarded within the Driver Coach world.
Query 3: “You probably have any ideas on the Authorities’s latest determination, please enter them beneath:”
“Driving and profit fraud has no relation to one another it should encourage extra unlawful use of motor automobiles and will forestall them getting work. For my part there are higher deterants than this.” – Unknown contact mentioned
“One more silly thought 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 wherever.”- Unknown contact mentioned
“Additional madness from this ineffective and treasonous authorities.
“Taking away licences is taking away means to journey to work, due to this fact 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 speak 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 a method of imposing this what’s the level . Till Policing of roads is healthier and the results are extreme they are going to 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’d 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 possibly can enroll right here
