Benefit Fraud

[Kat535]

I'm a student and am doing an essay on social security fraud.  I'd like to know what people think about it.  How prevalent do you think it is?  How serious do you think it is?  Why do you think people do it?  What do you think of the TV adverts?  How could it be stopped?

Thank you

[jake-the-peg]

I think it's interesting in comparisom to tax evasion.

Social security fraud is in a sense stealing from the Governments outgoings whereas tax evasion is stealing from it's incomings so both hit government revenue and hence us equally hard.

However tax evasion seems much more socially acceptable than benefit fraud.

I think that is possibly because "working" people pay tax but fewer claim benefit and so it's easier to empathise with those who fail to declare a few sidelines than it is to empathise with those who pad a benefit claim.

I don't know what the figures are but I'm willing to bet that the country loses much more to tax fraud than benefit fraud

[kempie]

Firstly, tax evasion is illegal whereas tax avoidance is employing loopholes to mitigate non-payment.

I believe the most recent figures touted are of the order

• Benefit Fraud = �2 billion
• Tax Avoidance = �20-�85 bn
• VAT Fraud (business) = �3 bn

[brianwaring]

having had experience in claiming social security. i think the whole system is in such a mess that it does not have the facility to sort it out and go back to square one

[Tim Baxter]

It's more prevalent than you, I or politicians or enforcement agents know or are willing to admit.

It is very serious because they don't take money from the government, they take it out of my pocket.

People do it because they can get away with it.  What's the alternative, work?

TV adverts are crap, it's just the DSS trying to appear to do something.  I knew a DSS 'detective/enforcer' some time ago, he just gave up, too much work, not enought staff etc etc etc.

Simple, stop paying it, dead.  All employers should pay a minimum wage.  There should be no top-up or tax credit 'cos it just subsidises employers.  There should be a tax system with one rate of tax starting at �40,000/yr.  Companies who deal mostly in cash should be scrutinised more closely because they're 'probably' paying workers cash in hand.  There should be more enforcement agents.  Bring back han.............

[MargeB]

Don't mean to be oblique, but the London bombings/bombers were funded to a degree by benefit fraud.

[Mrs_Pegasus]

I worked in benefit fraud some time ago.  However, following the introduction of the Data Protection act it became more and more difficult to track people and therefore prove the fraud.  Then the Human Rights Act 2000 completely threw a spanner in the works because we could do even less to track people and prove working and claiming.

i think its easier these days.  I know people who are committing fraud and have been investigated but I have been shocked by the laid back approach by the investigators.  I know of one who actually showed the accused the letter that 'grassed' them up from which he could work out who had blown the whistle on him.

The govt also 'helped' further by setting targets for councils to achieve in �s of total fraud recovered.  It was a nightmare and in some cases totally unachievable, if they didnt achieve it then the council was penalised with a reduction in grant and of course this had to be made up elsewhere in the cost of services!

Mad mad system.

I have jobs for cleaners and kitchen staff where i work and I am stuggling to fill them because we are asked the same question over and over again - can I have 16 hours please!  The very nature of the job means I cant offer 16 hours and therefore I dont fill the job.  That is MAD!

[Kat535]

Thanks for all answers.  Very useful, especially figures and stuff about tax evasion.  Will definately be putting in stuff about the system needing reform coz it does!  Thanks again