🇬🇧 Andy Burnham
Andy Burnham government scraps plans for DWP bank account measures
What happened
The DWP's proposal to look at welfare claimants' bank accounts to check for fraud has been scrapped. The plan was to check for people claiming Universal Credit when they weren't eligible, but it has been replaced with a new scheme where banks will conduct checks on welfare claimants' accounts after they have started receiving Universal Credit. The banks will report suspicious findings back to ministers.
Why it matters
The scrapped plan was intended to help prevent benefit fraud, but the new scheme may allow more fraud to go undetected. The change in approach has sparked concerns about the effectiveness of the government's efforts to prevent benefit fraud. The outcome of the new scheme is unclear.
Key facts
- The previous plan would have allowed officials to check the bank accounts of people claiming Universal Credit.
- The scrapped plan was reportedly intended to save £200 million a year in benefit fraud.
- The new scheme involves banks conducting checks on welfare claimants' accounts after they have started receiving Universal Credit.
Topics
Publisher evidence used
Reporting attributed to manchestereveningnews.co.uk. WorldLeadersNews links readers to the publisher and does not present a headline-only item as a full article analysis.
Related leaders
