The DWP have six new powers to tackle benefit fraud
The tougher measures mean the DWP will be able to gather information from banks on where people are spending their money and contacting airlines to obtain travel details of where claimants are going and for how long. Figures published in May this year showed benefit fraud worth £6.4 billion in the 2022-2023 financial year ending this April.
The vast majority of the offences were committed in claims for Universal Credit, statistics reveal. The DWP says its current information-gathering powers were first put in place decades ago and need updating because they are no longer flexible enough to tackle the types of fraud seen today, BirminghamLive.READ MORE: DWP rule change could mean PIP claimants are owed more than £5,000
It said: "Some of the key legislation DWP relies on is now over 20 years old. We plan to modernise and strengthen our powers. Subject to parliamentary time, we will legislate for new powers to help our officers investigate potential fraud and apply new penalties to punish fraudsters."People on Universal Credit are allowed to go abroad for up to a month and should tell the DWP of their travel plans.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New DWP rule change could see people on PIP due back pay of more than £5,000The DWP is checking more than 320,000 existing PIP claims after a change to the Daily Living assessment.
Read more »
DWP to pay anyone with these 21 health issues up to £691 a monthMore than 540 health conditions are being supported through PIP
Read more »
DWP pay people with these 21 health issues up to £691 monthlyThe most recently released figures show there are nearly 3.4 million people claiming the the benefit
Read more »
DWP issues new update on winter 2023 £300 cost of living paymentsThe Department for Work and Pensions revealed more than seven million payments have been made now
Read more »
DWP issues £300 Cost of Living payment update as £2.2 billion sent to householdsMore than seven million households have reportedly received the second cost of living payment so far
Read more »
DWP in new update on winter 2023 £300 cost of living paymentsThe Department for Work and Pensions revealed more than seven million payments have been made now
Read more »