The Department for Work and Pensions can monitor the social media activity of people on benefits over the festive period to help detect any fraud.
Earlier this year, the DWP shared details of a new plan to stop millions of pounds being lost in fraud and error. Between 2021 and 2022, there have been 600 convictions for benefit fraud across the UK and the ‘Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System’ plan outlines how the DWP is creating a new 2,000-strong team dedicated to reviewing more than two million existing Universal Credit claims.
This new team will review the entitlements and circumstances of Universal Credit claims that the DWP deems are at risk of being incorrect, including suspicious cases which entered the system during the height of the pandemic - this review is expected to stop around £2b of losses due to fraud and error over the next five years, reports the Daily Record.
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The DWP reports that last year, there was an estimated £6.3b of welfare fraud, up from £2.8b from the year before, coupled with £2.1b of error, the combined loss as a result of fraud and error was £8.4b or 3.9% of benefit expenditure. Investigations into claims can be made at anytime, even over the festive period.
The DWP’s definition of benefit fraud is when “someone obtains state benefit they are not entitled to or deliberately fails to report a change in their personal circumstances.” The most common form of benefit fraud is when a person receives unemployment benefits while working. Another is when claimants state they live alone, but are financially supported by a partner or spouse.
Failing to inform the state about a "change of circumstances", for example, that your partner is now living with you, or that you have moved house, or that a relative has died leaving you some money may also be seen as "fraud by omission".
In each circumstance, the DWP will need evidence that shows someone is receiving a benefit they would not ordinarily be entitled to. Fraud investigators have a wide range of powers which enable them to gather evidence in a number of ways, including surveillance, interviews, and document tracing. Under the new proposals, these powers will widen to include executing warrants, search and seizure of evidence and even making arrests.
While the DWP does act on reports from the public, it also has its own sophisticated means of detecting when fraudulent activity might be taking place - which means anyone receiving benefits from the DWP could be investigated at any time - even over Christmas and New Year.
DWP investigators are allowed to gather many types of evidence against a potentially fraudulent claimant.
Most common types of evidence
- inspector reports from surveillance activities
- photographs or videos
- audio recordings
- correspondence
- financial data, including bank statements
- interviews with you or people you know
- any evidence submitted by those who reported you
One common form of benefit fraud is falsely reporting income, or failure to report it altogether. If you are claiming unemployment benefits but are seen to attend a workplace, the DWP may talk to the owner or manager of that business to find out exactly why you are there, what work you are doing and how much you are being paid.
Investigators may also check your social media accounts and search your online profiles for pictures, location check-ins, and other evidence which may or may not be useful to them. Those who use social media a lot will leave a trail of their life and habits, often allowing investigators to piece together a picture of what that person’s life actually looks like. If this is not consistent with the details of that person’s claim for benefits, that evidence may end up being used against them.
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