A new DWP initiative could ban drivers who fail to repay welfare debts, aiming to tackle fraud and save taxpayer money.
London: So, there’s this new plan from the Department for Work and Pensions. If folks don’t pay back their welfare debts, they might lose their driving privileges. Sounds pretty serious, right?
The DWP is stepping up its game against welfare fraud. They’re even looking to take money straight from bank accounts if someone’s been claiming benefits they shouldn’t have. Yikes!
This new bill is set to hit parliament soon, and they think it could save around £1.5 billion over five years. That’s a lot of cash!
If the law passes, people who ignore their debts could be banned from driving for up to two years. Imagine that! Courts could even suspend licenses if someone owes over £1,000 and keeps dodging payments.
They’ll also be able to check bank statements of those who seem to have the cash but aren’t paying up. But don’t worry, they won’t have direct access to anyone’s accounts.
Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, is all about cracking down on fraud. She says they’re making sure the honest taxpayers aren’t getting ripped off by those cheating the system.
She mentioned that there will be safeguards in place to ensure these new powers are used fairly. It’s all about giving people confidence that the government is serious about tackling fraud.
Ministers are also planning to introduce codes of practice for how these new powers will be used. They want to keep things in check and make sure everything’s above board.
On another note, the bill will also give more power to the Public Sector Fraud Authority to deal with fraud that happened during the pandemic.
Helen Whately, the shadow work and pensions secretary, thinks these measures are just a continuation of what the Conservatives have been doing. She’s got some strong opinions about the Labour party too!
