Government plans to screen personal bank accounts

[Unreal]

I can't see a thread on this and only heard about it for the first time yesterday. It does look like over reach to me. I was also unaware that receipt of the state pension makes you a benefit claimant but there you go. One, hopefully perceived as reasonable, source below:

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366560856/DWP-...

[Countdown]

Happy to be corrected but do benefit claimants not need to provide their bank statements as part of their claim?

[P-Jay]

Countdown said:

Happy to be corrected but do benefit claimants not need to provide their bank statements as part of their claim?

It's been a long time thankfully, but this wasn't the case last time I had to claim JSA.

[deadslow]

they'd catch more crooks if they screened the Cabinet's bank accounts.

[Mandat]

I thought that the Govt already did have an insight into bank accounts, as I remember hearing of it with regard to tax evasion, mortgage fraud, etc.

[P-Jay]

I don't like the idea of it, partly because it's another hair brained policy from a desperate government and it's not going to pass the Ronseal test.

It might catch the old person who's 'signed off' a few week later than they should, because they can't afford to go a month without any income in a new job, as I understand this is incredibly commonplace, but it's not going to catch the hardcore 'cash in hand' fraudsters who've been 'on the fiddle' for years.

More than that though, I don't trust them, or any other Government from any party, to stop there. I don't want to come over all conspiracy theorist, but in an increasingly cashless society, giving the Government that sort of info, which they'll no doubt sell as data to anyone who wants to buy it, is a very bad thing.

Can you imagine what the likes of Cambridge Analytica could do with your banking data, cross-referenced with your social media, your credit reference history, your electoral register, mix it with AI profiling. They'd know you better than you know yourself.

[Unreal]

deadslow said:

they'd catch more crooks if they screened the Cabinet's bank accounts.

I think most would agree. They'd probably raise/save more money as well. It looks remarkably discriminatory, as one two charities seem to be saying. There would have been a time when you would hear a challenge from the opposition, but as with so many things, silence.

One thing I see from this link is that they're talking about pension credit claimants, not state pensioners per se, so I would appear to have been right in my longstanding assumption that state pensioners aren't automatically benefit claimants.

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/almost-9-mi...

[Greshamst]

Unreal said:

I can't see a thread on this and only heard about it for the first time yesterday. It does look like over reach to me. I was also unaware that receipt of the state pension makes you a benefit claimant but there you go. One, hopefully perceived as reasonable, source below:

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366560856/DWP-...

True fact: The largest recipients of government benefits are the retired.

[untakenname]

Don't see the issue with this personally and assumed it was already the case.

[mwstewart]

Sensible move. Surprised it wasn't already in place.

[g4ry13]

This could tie in very nicely with the CBDC.

[Unreal]

I did think that given that tax fraud massively outweighs benefit fraud it would make sense to extend this to everyone submitting a personal or CT return.

[119]

They have been doing it for years so this is nothing new.

Next…

[rev-erend]

It's never going to happen.

Just fake news put out to a gullable media by the department for fake news.

[jimmytheone]

Unreal said:

deadslow said:

they'd catch more crooks if they screened the Cabinet's bank accounts.

I think most would agree. They'd probably raise/save more money as well. It looks remarkably discriminatory, as one two charities seem to be saying. There would have been a time when you would hear a challenge from the opposition, but as with so many things, silence.

One thing I see from this link is that they're talking about pension credit claimants, not state pensioners per se, so I would appear to have been right in my longstanding assumption that state pensioners aren't automatically benefit claimants.

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/almost-9-mi...

Jenny Jones (HOL) said it

https://twitter.com/mikegalsworthy/status/17316807...

[Jimbo.]

If for whatever reason the Govt scan my bank account, I’d really appreciate being told if they find any money in it, as I never can!

[konark]

It's the thin end of a very fat wedge.

[oyster]

Unreal said:

I would appear to have been right in my longstanding assumption that state pensioners aren't automatically benefit claimants.

It's a benefit paid to a subset of the population based on certain criteria being met, and paid for from the welfare budget.

Very much benefit claiming.

[XCP]

P-Jay said:

Countdown said:

Happy to be corrected but do benefit claimants not need to provide their bank statements as part of their claim?

It's been a long time thankfully, but this wasn't the case last time I had to claim JSA.

They certainly provide bank details. Universal credit is paid directly into the bank.

Overall a good idea IMHO.

[S600BSB]

Bloody Tories.