Covert surveillance

davidpnuk

The DWP's surveillance focuses on individuals suspected of benefit fraud to investigate and prevent fraudulent activity within the welfare system. DWP surveillance techniques

DWP now openly recruiting ‘covert surveillance officers’ to spy on disabled people is this for fraudsters that arent disabled

When individuals with disabilities, including those with mental health conditions, are suspected of benefit fraud and subjected to DWP surveillance, several concerns and potential issues arise, alongside measures that are supposed to be in place to protect their rights and well-being. Genuine disabled should have nothing to worry about but the fakers should.

Albus_Scope

Whilst the DWP have had the ability to surveil anyone they feel they need to, this is often their last line of inquiry, as it takes a lot of man hours. There have been adverts for these roles for many years now, so this isn't a new thing and isn't anything to worry about unless you're committing fraud of course.

The investigators also have to very strictly follow the following bills and acts;

Public authorities fraud bill.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

davidpnuk

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1061388#Comment_1061388

I agree with them doing this as there are fraudsters out there and it isn't fair on people who are genuinely disabled i hope they target benefit fraudsters only and do not target genuine disabled as this isn't on. Benefit fraudsters yes I agree with the covert surveillance if caught then they deserve everything they get.

davidpnuk

The UK's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does possess the ability to conduct surveillance as a means of investigating potential benefit fraud, and they have employed these methods for several years

This is not a new development, and it is primarily used as a tool to ensure the proper use of public funds. However, the DWP operates within a strict legal framework that dictates how and when such surveillance can be conducted. Also genuine disabled as i have been made aware have to declare a change of circumstances in their universal credit journal failure to do so will be taken as their committing benefit fraud if their condition for example improves they need to declare it as if their on LCWRA they might be put onto LCW LCWRA gets reviewed however at the current time its not happening this is due to resume in April 2026 along with Work Capability Assessments in 2028/2029 the government is planning to phase out the work capability assessment.

Back to the covert surveillance they can conduct surveillance only if a person has been tipped off as committing benefit fraud if they were to do this with someone who isn't committing benefit fraud and someone was to falsely tip them off to the DWP and the surveillance investigation was completed and was found to be bogus about the person in question and found to be genuinely disabled the DWP can take legal action against the person who tipped the other person off to the DWP they would require the persons name and address however that would remain withheld by the DWP this is to ensure that in case that person who has informed them of a benefit cheat isn't giving the DWP a false statement because if they do then they themselves can face prosecution as whilst the DWP would have been doing the investigation and then find that they have had their time wasted and they could have been investigating a genuine benefit cheat case they would prosecute anyone leading them up the garden path as they say.