Benefit claimants have been warned they could be asked to provided their passport details as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) cracks down on fraudsters. People have also been warned of random ID requests or texts and emails asking for other personal details.
The government organisation has said that requests for passports will only be made through the official Universal Credit journal. It allows claimants to submit details and liaise with their work coach.
As reported by Chronicle Live, the DWP said in a social media post: "DWP may ask you to submit ID such as your passport. We will always add a message to your journal to prove it is us.
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"Your information can be used by criminals to commit benefit and other fraud. If you believe you have been targeted, contact Action Fraud."
It is reported that around 20 million people across the UK claim benefits. However, thousands make fake claims.
As of march this year, there were 8,691 investigations into alleged benefit fraud conducted. As a result, over two million Universal Credit claimants will be verified in the next five years.
Most common types of benefit fraud
Common examples of benefit fraud in the UK include:
- Faking an illness or injury to get unemployment or disability benefits
- Failing to report income from a business or employment to make income seem lower than it actually is
- Living with someone who contributes to the household income without declaring that income to the authorities
- Falsifying accounts to make it seem like a person has less money than they say they do
In July 2022, it was reported that the DWP had re-examined 1.1million Universal Credit claims, finding that in the region of 125,000 had some form of 'element of incorrectness'. The department also says that people on benefits who go on holiday, or fail to report changes in circumstances, may be prosecuted for benefit fraud.
You could be taken to court or face hefty penalties up to £5,000 if you provide false information, or fail to report a change. In April, officials at the department busted an alleged £800,000 attack on the benefits system - in which, two suspects are said to have created 15 different identities to rake in more than three-quarters of a million in cash from fake disability claims.
What evidence can DWP ask for?
The most common types of evidence the DWP asks for to verify a benefit claim include:
- Inspector reports from surveillance activities
- Photographs or videos (this can include passports as they have photo ID)
- Audio recordings
- Correspondence
- Financial data, including bank statements
- Interviews with you or people you know
- Any evidence submitted by those who reported you
Investigators may also check social media accounts and search online profiles for pictures, location check-ins, and other evidence.
What else is DWP doing to tackle fraud?
The DWP plans on introducing a raft of new powers, from a new civil penalty for cases of fraud to requiring organisations like banks to share data securely on an increased scale, to check people's savings and whether people are living abroad and not eligible for UK benefits. There are also plans to increase DWP powers to conduct searches, seize evidence and make arrests.
Back in May, the DWP announced that the Universal Credit overpayment rate had decreased by around £400 million in one year, and that the 'tide is starting to turn on benefit fraud after record high levels during the pandemic'. The latest national statistics confirm that in the past year, fraud and error rates fell to 3.6 per cent (£8.3billion) from 4 per cent (£8.7billion), with Universal Credit losses falling from 14.7 per cent (£5.9 billion) to 12.8 per cent (£5.5 billion).
The figures also detailed reduced rates of fraud, both overall and within the Universal Credit sector. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride, said: "Our welfare system provides a strong financial safety net for vulnerable people, and no one should be able to cynically abuse that for profit.
"We are cracking down on fraudsters, and today’s figures show encouraging progress as DWP works to both prevent new fraudulent claims and collar cases where people have been shamelessly exploiting the system. While we may be beginning to turn the tide on fraud, there is no room for complacency and still much to do.
"Our £900 million Fraud Plan will help us deliver savings of over £9 billion for the taxpayer over the next five years."
