Would you accept having your bank account checked?

Tonawanda17

Thanks very much

honestjon

vikingqueen said:

 If you have nothing to hide there is nothing to worry about. 

I would suggest there could be something to worry about if it is true that the dwp will be given powers of arrest. 
Who in their right mind would think the dwp can be trusted with the power to arrest anyone?

Tonawanda17

Hi. Found this on another thread.
Thoughts please.

The document stated that much of the legislation used by the DWP’s counter-fraud officers is “now decades old”. It said the government would introduce measures to improve access to data and enforcement:

“Subject to parliamentary time, we will legislate to update their powers to boost access to data from third parties and carry out arrests and searches and seize evidence. This will enable them to act more quickly to identify, detect and disrupt fraud, particularly from organised criminal gangs and wider economic crime. We will also bring in a new civil financial penalty, so more fraudsters pay for their crimes.”

poppy123456

@Tonawanda17 again, that’s the same as what we’ve been talking about here and we are over 10 pages into the thread. 

DWP can already access back accounts if they suspect fraud so nothing new there. 

honestjon

poppy123456 said:

@Tonawanda17 again, that’s the same as what we’ve been talking about here and we are over 10 pages into the thread. 

DWP can already access back accounts if they suspect fraud so nothing new there. 

I believe they are getting new powers including the power of arrest.
I wouldn't be happy with the dwp having extra powers such as this.
They are well known to regularly abuse the powers they already have.

honestjon

woodbine said:

honestjon said:

vikingqueen said:

 If you have nothing to hide there is nothing to worry about. 

I would suggest there could be something to worry about if it is true that the dwp will be given powers of arrest. 
Who in their right mind would think the dwp can be trusted with the power to arrest anyone?

Looked at another way who in their right mind would think the DWP have the time and the personnel to keep a regular check on millions of bank accounts...impossible

Following this thread there is no suggestion the dwp will need to keep a regular check on millions of bank accounts.
The dwp already have their methods to identify which accounts to investigate.
The concern I have is what powers the dwp have, once these accounts are identified as suspicious,and how open to abuse the new powers may give the dwp to the detriment of people who are unwell.

Tonawanda17

Hi. Are there any government publications stating what powers they are getting?

poppy123456

honestjon said:

poppy123456 said:

@Tonawanda17 again, that’s the same as what we’ve been talking about here and we are over 10 pages into the thread. 

DWP can already access back accounts if they suspect fraud so nothing new there. 

I believe they are getting new powers including the power of arrest.

It’s all speculation at the moment.

poppy123456

Tonawanda17 said:

Hi. Are there any government publications stating what powers they are getting?

No! We keep advising you that it’s all speculation. 

Tonawanda17

If this goes ahead do we think someone will challenge it?

poppy123456

No idea, sorry.

honestjon

2oldcodgers

WhatThe said:

2oldcodgers 

It doesn't help the rest of us when you tell the world you receive disability benefits you don't need 

Judging others from a place of safety or position of authority is all too easy 

OK PIP is simply a benefit that the disabled can claim legitimately. You have to show how your life is impacted by reference to various descriptors. If you are awarded enough points based on those descriptors you get an award. You then receive an amount of money that is based on that award.
I use the Mobility money to lease a car. But have little or no extra costs when it comes to the Care element. You just get paid it whether you need it or not.
This is in my opinion the downfall of PIP. Under DLA you could identify which element you were making a claim for, this does not seem to be the case with PIP.
When I claimed DLA many years ago I only opted for the Mobility part as I did have extra costs for that element.
Maybe the DWP could change the current system so that claimants have the option on what to claim for.

And as for claiming and not needing the money, may I remind you that two Prime Ministers were in receipt of DLA/PIP on behalf of their respective children/grandchildren. Is it possible that they were so impoverished that they needed the extra money?

poppy123456

You could never choose which part of DLA you wanted to claim, the same as PiP. They would look at the whole claim and not just part of it. I don’t know who told you that you could do otherwise but it’s not correct. 

Wibbles

honestjon said:

poppy123456 said:

@Tonawanda17 again, that’s the same as what we’ve been talking about here and we are over 10 pages into the thread. 

DWP can already access back accounts if they suspect fraud so nothing new there. 

I believe they are getting new powers including the power of arrest.
I wouldn't be happy with the dwp having extra powers such as this.
They are well known to regularly abuse the powers they already have.

IF it did ever happen - I would be more concerned about the contractors paid vast sums to carry out the arrests - because I cannot ever see DWP employees being directly involved .

honestjon

Wibbles said:

honestjon said:

poppy123456 said:

@Tonawanda17 again, that’s the same as what we’ve been talking about here and we are over 10 pages into the thread. 

DWP can already access back accounts if they suspect fraud so nothing new there. 

I believe they are getting new powers including the power of arrest.
I wouldn't be happy with the dwp having extra powers such as this.
They are well known to regularly abuse the powers they already have.

IF it did ever happen - I would be more concerned about the contractors paid vast sums to carry out the arrests - because I cannot ever see DWP employees being directly involved .

What difference would that make?
It doesn't matter if they are employed directly or sub contracted to arrest you.
The dwp will be the ones pulling the strings 

2oldcodgers

woodbine said:

Once a year I have are to provide an up to date bank statement all they are checking is if my ESA that went from IR to CB can go back to IR, what's the issue with that ? they also request a copy of my private pension even though it only goes up by pennies each year. I have nothing to hide and no problem, if they want to want this I still would have no problem they could should they desire check my bank account every day, why ? because I have NOTHING to hide.
I really do think that threads like this are not what scope is about, they can and do worry people without need, they are often scaremongering of the worst sort.

In my case with our Pension Credit I am under instruction from the Pension Service to report ANY change in circumstances as regards the level of my income. They have warned me that if it is only 1p up or down I must report it along with the evidence.
Why? I pay tax on 5 private pensions on a monthly basis. Tax deductions can vary by up to 25p either way each month - that's just the system.
So I send monthly bank statements to show the movement of each pension.
I didn't believe them when they said that I had to report any change in net income of 1p or more/less!!  

2oldcodgers

Wibbles said:

honestjon said:

poppy123456 said:

@Tonawanda17 again, that’s the same as what we’ve been talking about here and we are over 10 pages into the thread. 

DWP can already access back accounts if they suspect fraud so nothing new there. 

I believe they are getting new powers including the power of arrest.
I wouldn't be happy with the dwp having extra powers such as this.
They are well known to regularly abuse the powers they already have.

IF it did ever happen - I would be more concerned about the contractors paid vast sums to carry out the arrests - because I cannot ever see DWP employees being directly involved .

I doubt it. All of the other government departments that have power of arrest have the police in attendance to carry out the arrest. The arrested is then either transported to police cells or in the case of HMRC direct to the nearest prison which I am fully aware of as my deceased father was a Collector of Taxes and once had the chairman of a premier football team arrested for failing to pay over tax. He was transported to Walton Prison, Liverpool and released only when the debt was paid in full.

2oldcodgers

poppy123456 said:

You could never choose which part of DLA you wanted to claim, the same as PiP. They would look at the whole claim and not just part of it. I don’t know who told you that you could do otherwise but it’s not correct. 

Oh yes you could. I started DLA in 1995 and remember it well. I only claimed for the care element as I did not consider that my mobility was relevant. As time went by over the years I then renewed my claims to include mobility as and when I felt that I had reached that level. The old way of claiming DLA was to complete two separate forms. The first for personal and medical info with the second for the claim itself.
As with the second form it was split into two parts Care and Mobility.
On the form you were asked if you wanted to claim one or both.
If it was mobility then you only completed that section of it leaving the care side completely blank. You would then be assessed for what you claimed for.

poppy123456

2oldcodgers said:

woodbine said:

Once a year I have are to provide an up to date bank statement all they are checking is if my ESA that went from IR to CB can go back to IR, what's the issue with that ? they also request a copy of my private pension even though it only goes up by pennies each year. I have nothing to hide and no problem, if they want to want this I still would have no problem they could should they desire check my bank account every day, why ? because I have NOTHING to hide.
I really do think that threads like this are not what scope is about, they can and do worry people without need, they are often scaremongering of the worst sort.

In my case with our Pension Credit I am under instruction from the Pension Service to report ANY change in circumstances as regards the level of my income. They have warned me that if it is only 1p up or down I must report it along with the evidence.
Why? I pay tax on 5 private pensions on a monthly basis. Tax deductions can vary by up to 25p either way each month - that's just the system.
So I send monthly bank statements to show the movement of each pension.
I didn't believe them when they said that I had to report any change in net income of 1p or more/less!!  

What a strange coincidence, there was another member here last year that also said exactly the same. He hasn't been active for quite sometime now @racyguy