{"id":100948,"date":"2025-01-03T13:04:19","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T13:04:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/?p=100948"},"modified":"2025-01-03T13:04:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T13:04:21","slug":"how-the-dwps-new-policies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/how-the-dwps-new-policies\/","title":{"rendered":"How the DWP\u2019s New Policies Could Impact Benefit Claimants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>As the cost-of-living crisis continues to place pressure on households, this policy represents a significant shift in fraud prevention strategies. While the <strong>DWP<\/strong> argues the changes are necessary to protect <strong>public funds<\/strong>, critics warn that these measures could inadvertently harm those relying on benefits for essential support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DWP Targets Fraud with Enhanced Monitoring Powers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The DWP\u2019s plan to increase its capacity for <a href=\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/barclays-highlights-digital-banking-tools\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"100694\">bank account<\/a> checks marks a bold move to combat benefit fraud and errors. <strong>Ben Fleming<\/strong>, a financial crime analyst at Ocean Finance, highlighted the government\u2019s focus on <strong>fraud prevention<\/strong>. \u201cWhile there\u2019s no confirmed start date for this DWP change, it\u2019s likely these powers will begin to be used within the next year,\u201d Fleming stated, emphasising the priority placed on protecting public finances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the proposed measures, accounts flagged for unusual transactions or discrepancies may be subject to <strong>scrutiny<\/strong>. Advocates argue that such steps are crucial to ensuring only legitimate claims are processed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, Fleming and other experts have stressed the importance of clear communication. \u201c<strong>Clear communication is essential<\/strong>. If a claimant\u2019s account is flagged, they should be notified promptly and provided with a straightforward explanation of the process.\u201d Fleming urged. \u201cAny investigation should start with a conversation\u2014not an assumption of guilt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Privacy advocates have criticized the approach, comparing it to Orwellian surveillance, despite the possible advantages of lowering bogus claims. <strong>Human rights advocates<\/strong> are urging strong protections to stop abuse and shield those who are most in need from unnecessary stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Balancing Fraud Prevention and Claimant Welfare<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Critics of the <strong>new measures <\/strong>have raised concerns about the unintended consequences of such stringent policies. Fleming warned of the <strong>anxiety <\/strong>these investigations could cause innocent claimants, noting that errors in the system could lead to unnecessary stress. \u201cMistakes do happen, and the stress of being investigated can be overwhelming,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The initiative has also sparked discussions about addressing the root causes of fraudulent claims. Fleming suggested that financial pressures often push individuals towards dishonest practices. \u201cOffering <strong>better access to budgeting advice<\/strong> and support for those struggling could reduce the temptation to bend the rules,\u201d he proposed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/organisations\/department-for-work-pensions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">government <\/a>focuses on<strong> improving identification checks<\/strong> and cross-referencing data, experts urge caution to ensure genuine claimants are not excluded from essential <a href=\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/household-support-fund-offers-support\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"100369\">support<\/a>. Calls for a balanced approach, combining fraud prevention with adequate claimant protections, highlight the complexities of implementing such policies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is preparing to implement stricter bank account monitoring measures aimed at tackling benefit fraud. Experts anticipate the new powers, which allow investigators to scrutinise claimants&#8217; financial activity, could be introduced within the next year. The initiative has sparked concerns over privacy and potential stress for innocent claimants, raising questions about how the government plans to safeguard against misuse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":100950,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-welfare","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100948"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100948\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100986,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100948\/revisions\/100986"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}