nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

Bank Spying Scrapped

Ray212

Not sure if this is the right place, move it if needed but a big win. Bank spying scrapped :

https://x.com/BigBrotherWatch/status/1793932377422524454

Mass bank spying powers BINNED as the Data Bill gets scrapped

Disability Rights UK - "After months of campaigning, the government has abandoned a data bill, which would have given the DWP powers to spy on Disabled peoples' bank accounts. "

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Ray212

Indeed but at least a step in the right direction, one fight at a time.

Tonawanda17

Hi, can anyone make sense of this article. I thought this had been scrapped. Thanks

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/dwp-confirms-how-it-plans-to-monitor-people-s-bank-accounts/ar-BB1nqKjX?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=96fe8d07610741f5a89a61660f886983&ei=16

Ray212

If you read down to the bottom of the article it states :

"The new amendments to the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill
were not passed before Parliament was dissolved for the General
Election, so the proposed powers intended to come in next year are not
yet legislation."

Ray212

The Data Bill got binned during the 'wash up' but without public outrage and parliamentary resistance this Bill with shock bank spying powers could have been rushed into UK law. - Taken from Big Brother Watch

Tonawanda17

Thanks ray212

Ray212

Still not sure how they got away with that as there is no law in place that allows them to do that whether it's a trial or not so I am scepticle about any figure they come up with.

WhatThe

It was trialled in 2017 and flagged up UC claimants with excessive savings and those living abroad.

The proposals which were scrapped included the use of arrest warrants for claimants and search warrants of suspected fraudsters' homes. Not a patch on the existing powers.

WhatThe

I mean the proposals were far worse than the powers already in place.

michael57

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/871186#Comment_871186

i believe you give your permission for a bank check when you sign up for uc so they can check it at any time they feel fit as for existing powers i would say there are a lot more dwp powers in place now than there was back in the day that we dont know or they dont want you to know without looking or being told

Meg24

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/871194#Comment_871194

Check what? Just the balance or do they get to poke around what you spend your money on?! I have no issue with them simply checking the balance but that's all they should be allowed to do.

Ray212

I don't remember ever giving them permission to do that nor would I. I didn't see it on the UC application either.

And no one can tell you what you spend your money on. Its nothing to do with them so don't worry about that

Jimm_Alumni

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/871170#Comment_871170

Hey, just so we know what you're referring to it can be helpful to share where you heard this if you're able to? Sharing sources of information is helpful as it can help inform people properly, or it can help us check if the source is reliable. It's often very helpful to share the source of information. 😊

WhatThe

I'll see if I can trace it in my search history - a single as yet unnamed bank was used back then

WhatThe

I don't read MSN and the full analysis isn't there.

From memory, 63,000 accounts were flagged by the bank in question - only for exceeding capital limits or living abroad. The article I found detailed the number of DWP investigations and the outcomes. I will keep looking..

WhatThe

I read and download these articles but have no idea how to order or retrieve my downloads.. 😓

Jimm_Alumni

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/871255#Comment_871255

Ah I see now. It seems it's from a Kent Live article, which links to a Birmingham Live article (they're all owned by the same company).

I've spent far too long trying to find the original report from the DWP on the gov.uk site, but I am struggling to actually find where it's hidden on the DWP site.

WhatThe

Jimm, I'm pretty sure I began with the 2016 Work, Health and Disability Green Paper..

It may have on gov.uk or via a link on DNS

WhatThe

From memory, 63,000 accounts were flagged by the bank in question - only for exceeding capital limits or living abroad.

An important detail I remember is that only (UC claimants') bank accounts of £50,000+ and UC claimants suspected of living abroad were flagged during the 2017 trial.

michael57

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/871456#Comment_871456

yet you still feel the need to have your input so thats not staying out of it

michael57

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/871665#Comment_871665

for the record you have mentioned your views about the government checking the banks on more than one occasion your views i am sure are duly noted as is your stance on who the next party could be in power some members feel the need to talk about what is or could happen in the future i myself like you dont give a rats one way or the other and for the record this is not me having a go at you just my point of view that i am entitled to as are you