British PM - David Cameron to target benefit fraudsters - Polidicks

[B]David Cameron is to announce a crackdown on benefit fraud which could see greater use of credit ratings agencies to help identify wrong claims.[/B] [release] Cameron says the government is to publish an "uncompromising strategy" to reduce the £5.2bn annual cost of fraud and error. Mr Cameron says there will be tougher penalities and more prosecutions. Credit company Experian says it is in talks over a deal which could see it paid according to the number of fraudsters uncovered. It confirmed it already has an existing contract to scrutinise new housing benefit claimants in a deal agreed by the previous government which has saved £17m. It says it is in close talks with the Department of Work and Pensions about a wider commitment that could see it examining claims for other benefits. 'Absolutely outrageous' Writing in the Manchester Evening News, the prime minister said tougher penalties, more prosecutions, measures to encourage others to shop cheats and greater efforts to recover to recover "stolen" payments would also be included. Mr Cameron was writing ahead of a public question and answer session. He said: "At a time when we're having to take such difficult decisions about how to cut back without damaging the things that matter the most, we should strain every sinew to cut error, waste and fraud in our welfare system. "Welfare and tax credit fraud and error costs the taxpayer £5.2bn a year. That's the cost of more than 200 secondary schools or over 150,000 nurses. "It's absolutely outrageous and we can not stand for it." A simplified benefits system being developed by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith would help reduce the £1.6bn annual bill for administrative errors, he said. "But we need to do more to stop fraud. £1.5bn of hard-earned taxpayers' money is being stolen from the taxpayer. This is simply not acceptable. "Nor is it right that only £20m of benefit fraud-related debts are recovered each year or that three in four of those caught don't get prosecuted. "It's quite wrong that there are people in our society who will behave like this. But we will not shrug our shoulders and let them get away with it any longer. "We will take the necessary measures to stop fraud happening in the first place, root out and take tough action against those found committing fraud and make sure the stolen money is paid back. "I have asked Iain Duncan Smith to draw up an uncompromising strategy for tackling fraud and error which we will publish in the autumn." Mr Cameron has previously said that reducing benefit fraud and error would be the "first and deepest" cut in public spending.[/release] [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10922261]Source[/url]

Can anyone clarify for if this is good or bad? I'm not very keen with this stuff and the article didn't help either.

[QUOTE=Mikesword221;23952269]Can anyone clarify for if this is good or bad? I'm not very keen with this stuff and the article didn't help either.[/QUOTE] [b]David Cameron to target benefit fraudsters[/b] Was the title alone not obvious enough to tell you it's a good thing? This will stop all those fucking leechers and save a lot of money doing so.

People who sit around all day and not even trying to get work don't deserve state help.

I know so many people in my town who cheat the benefit system. My neighbor is laughing away in her convertible car which she claimed from benefit fraud, while my father works his arse off seven days a week. Good on him I say.

[QUOTE=Acezorz;23960402]I know so many people in my town who cheat the benefit system. My neighbor is laughing away in her convertible car which she claimed from benefit fraud, while my father works his arse off seven days a week. Good on him I say.[/QUOTE] 1. Get her name 2. Call crimestoppers 3. Recieve up to £60 4. ???? 5. PROFIT!!

my dad used to work for whatever the precursor to the department if work and pensions was (in the 80s). one guy was claiming disability benefit for a bad back and a neighbour sent in a photo of him digging up his garden.

[QUOTE=toxicpiano;23960465]my dad used to work for whatever the precursor to the department if work and pensions was (in the 80s). one guy was claiming disability benefit for a bad back and a neighbour sent in a photo of him digging up his garden.[/QUOTE] Good on the neighbor, I hate benefits cheats so much. The money spent on those worthless fucks could've gone to so much better things.

thank goodness for this! i just hope that it actually works...

Disgusting worthless fucks..

Good. I make less working 38hrs a week than many of these wasters steal of off hard working people. But I would never claim benefits. Only as a last resort, when I'm absolutely desperate, would I even contemplate claiming them. I'd be embarrassed claiming them, knowing full well, that I'm capable of getting a job. My Dad used to work as a fraud investigator. I don't even know how many people he has managed to prove were faking their claims, but now that I work and pay taxes, I can really see how important his job was.

Very nice. Wish the US gov't would crack down on them.

They'd get a fuck ton more from getting Tax Dodgers to pay what they owe to the state than from the Benefit Fraudsters. The difference is that David Cameron has more to gain from having rich people on his side.

Hey Cameron, how about you shut your mouth and actually tell us what you're going to do, for once? Or hey, maybe you could piss off Pakistan some more.

What Cameron did: Caused British sun reading population to think he's going to save millions per week What will happen: Not much really

[QUOTE=AngryChairR;23961140]What Cameron did: Caused British sun reading population to think he's going to save millions per week What will happen: Not much really[/QUOTE] Seriously, this. Every government has said this is a 'main priority', but if his best idea is to get Experian to report people for money... Duncan Smith better have some damn good ideas this autumn.

Oh wow, I love the hypocrisy of some people on this forum. So, you are criticising for actually cracking down on fraud? What would you rather have him do? Nothing?

typical tory-hating bandwagoners if you ask me

[QUOTE=David29;23962422]Oh wow, I love the hypocrisy of some people on this forum. So, you are criticising for actually cracking down on fraud? What would you rather have him do? Nothing?[/QUOTE] I heard that only 1% of people who claim benefits are benefit thieves, and that it will cost more than it will save investigating potential benefit thieves

[QUOTE=RAG Frag;23963774][b]I heard[/b] that only 1% of people who claim benefits are benefit thieves, and that it will cost more than it will save investigating potential benefit thieves[/QUOTE] I highlighted the problem with your post.

[QUOTE=RAG Frag;23963774]I heard that only 1% of people who claim benefits are benefit thieves, and that it will cost more than it will save investigating potential benefit thieves[/QUOTE] I highly doubt that 1% can rack up £5.2billion in benefits payouts.

How many times has the governments spewed this kind of bs nothing will change.

[QUOTE=David29;23962422]Oh wow, I love the hypocrisy of some people on this forum. So, you are criticising for actually cracking down on fraud? What would you rather have him do? Nothing?[/QUOTE] No, the hypocrisy is being made by the government. This number is an estimated figure, there is no way they can properly tell us how much is going into fraud. Also, the government forgets to tell us how much money is wasted on investigating people for fraud who actually are genuine cases. Or the amount of money wasted on government errors that the Citizens Advice have declared as a big problem. I want less people to commit fraud, but Cameron's big idea is to pay private companies for every conviction. Considering private bailiffs have been under the spotlight for the past few years because of overbearing costs and unethical methods, I seriously doubt this will do anything. If they spend more money on doctors and government investigators to check on new applications with more stringency in the first place, it wouldn't be such an issue, but to just throw around billion pound figures is just bad politics.

Hahah, my dad is practically a benefit fraudster. Watch, I bet this post gets him put away or some shit. I hope so anyway.

[QUOTE=MrEndangered;23966346]No, the hypocrisy is being made by the government. This number is an estimated figure, there is no way they can properly tell us how much is going into fraud. Also, the government forgets to tell us how much money is wasted on investigating people for fraud who actually are genuine cases. Or the amount of money wasted on government errors that the Citizens Advice have declared as a big problem.[/QUOTE] 1. Learn the definition of 'hypocrisy'. 2. Doy, of course they can't give an exact figure of people who are committing fraud. If they did know, then obviously they would know who it is that is committing the fraud and we wouldn't have this problem. 3. You are complaining that the government is investigating people, and some of those people have genuine claims? Do you have any idea how stupid that sounds? The government is not psychic - the whole point of the investigations is to find out if a person who is suspected of fraud is actually committing it or not. Ergo, investigating some genuine claims is [b]unavoidable[/b]. 4. Errors happens. Deal with it. Shall I call you a failure because you have made mistakes in the past? [QUOTE=MrEndangered;23966346]I want less people to commit fraud, but Cameron's big idea is to pay private companies for every conviction. Considering private bailiffs have been under the spotlight for the past few years because of overbearing costs and unethical methods, I seriously doubt this will do anything. If they spend more money on doctors and government investigators to check on new applications with more stringency in the first place, it wouldn't be such an issue, but to just throw around billion pound figures is just bad politics.[/quote] Hang on, you just criticised Cameron's plans to use private companies in one paragraph, and then moved on to say that he is "just throw(ing) around billion dollar figures" in the next. Get your story straight.