benefits

Labour continues the Tory war on the poor, sick and disabled

Spread the love

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/labour-continues-tory-war-poor-sick-and-disabled

DWP chief Liz Kendall

DR DYLAN MURPHY challenges the idea that social security places an economic burden on the public

THE current Labour government of red Tories has doubled down recently on its propaganda against those people claiming benefits in the UK.

These reactionary comments range from Starmer’s pledge in the Sun to be ruthless in his cuts to benefits, to Reeves making inflated claims in the same paper that spending on benefits has “spiralled out of control.”

In the same interview with the Sun Reeves bragged that Labour is “introducing the biggest welfare fraud and error package in recent history.”

The implication is clear: those claiming benefits, including those workers on low wages claiming elements of universal credit, are an undeserving burden on the British economy.

In the “golden days” of the Victorian era they at least maintained a distinction between the deserving and undeserving poor. Under Starmer’s Labour all people who claim benefits are clearly in the undeserving poor category and should be made to suffer ever greater poverty all to help “turbo charge” economic growth.

…

Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/labour-continues-tory-war-poor-sick-and-disabled

Keir Starmer confirms that he's proud to be a red Tory continuing austerity and targeting poor and disabled scum.
Keir Starmer confirms that he’s proud to be a red Tory continuing austerity and targeting poor and disabled scum.
Continue ReadingLabour continues the Tory war on the poor, sick and disabled

Bill would force banks to carry out ‘mass surveillance’ of millions of innocent disabled people, MPs are told

Spread the love

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/bill-would-force-banks-to-carry-out-mass-surveillance-of-millions-of-innocent-disabled-people-mps-are-told/

A new government bill would force banks to carry out “mass surveillance” of millions of innocent disabled people and other benefit claimants, MPs have been warned.

The measures in the bill would force banks to examine individuals’ accounts for potential breaches of benefit eligibility rules, and then pass that information to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

…

Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall told MPs on Monday that the measures would force banks to provide data to “help identify incorrect benefit payments people might be getting, including fraudulently, such as if someone has too much in savings, making them ineligible for a benefit, or if they are fraudulently claiming benefits abroad when they should be living in the UK”.

But independent MP Zarah Sultana said the “algorithm-driven financial surveillance” allowed by the bill would lead to errors that would disproportionately affect disabled and older people and “those already struggling to make ends meet”, and create “a two-tier justice system”.

She said: “Even a one per cent error rate in the AI system used by banks could lead to thousands of benefit recipients being wrongly flagged, unfairly investigated and forced into lengthy appeals.”

She said the bill would allow “mass surveillance” and was “deeply unjust” and would “subject millions of innocent people – disabled individuals, carers, jobseekers, pensioners and parents – to unwarranted financial surveillance, treating them as suspects by default, simply because they receive state support”.

It would, she said, turn banks into “agents of the state”.

Another independent MP, John McDonnell, the former Labour shadow chancellor, said the government was seeking powers for a “mass surveillance exercise”.

He said: “The reason why people will feel that it is unfair is that it specifically targets people who are often in desperate need.

“If there was a group of people whose accounts we would want to monitor because there has been a history of fraud, and who have had to pay money back – some have gone to prison – it would be MPs; I was here during the expenses scandal.”

…

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/bill-would-force-banks-to-carry-out-mass-surveillance-of-millions-of-innocent-disabled-people-mps-are-told/

Keir Starmer confirms that he's proud to be a red Tory continuing austerity and targeting poor and disabled scum.
Keir Starmer confirms that he’s proud to be a red Tory continuing austerity and targeting poor and disabled scum.
Continue ReadingBill would force banks to carry out ‘mass surveillance’ of millions of innocent disabled people, MPs are told

DWP hides updated figures on life-threatening errors, just as Kendall prepares to announce cuts and reforms

Spread the love

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/dwp-hides-updated-figures-on-life-threatening-errors-just-as-kendall-prepares-to-announce-cuts-and-reforms/

The government is hiding figures that would show how often its civil servants are making life-threatening errors when dealing with the benefit claims of disabled people, just as media reports suggest it is planning sweeping cuts and reforms.

Last Friday, The Times reported that everyone on out-of-work disability benefits could be forced to carry out work-related activity, while hundreds of thousands of disabled people could see their support cut.

The article stressed that no decisions had yet been made, but The Times is known to have highly-placed contacts within both the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Treasury, which is said to be pushing for significant spending cuts.

But just as reports suggest the government is planning major changes that could impose significant safeguarding risks for disabled claimants, and increase pressure on DWP work coaches and jobcentres, DWP has blocked the publication of updated figures that would show the number of potentially fatal errors being made by its staff.

Last month, Disability News Service (DNS) reported on the long-delayed release of figures from last April, which showed how DWP staff were making thousands of potentially fatal errors every month when dealing with the benefit claims of disabled people, particularly in relation to universal credit claims and the department’s fraud and “compliance” work.

…

Article continues at https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/dwp-hides-updated-figures-on-life-threatening-errors-just-as-kendall-prepares-to-announce-cuts-and-reforms/

Keir Starmer confirms that he's proud to be a red Tory continuing austerity and targeting poor and disabled scum.
Keir Starmer confirms that he’s proud to be a red Tory continuing austerity and targeting poor and disabled scum.
Continue ReadingDWP hides updated figures on life-threatening errors, just as Kendall prepares to announce cuts and reforms

DWP ‘blocked whistleblower giving evidence to carer’s allowance review’

Spread the love

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/03/dwp-blocked-whistleblower-giving-evidence-to-carers-allowance-review

The Department for Work and Pensions’ offices in central London. The review will look in part at why the DWP allowed carers to unknowingly accrue overpayments of thousands of pounds. Photograph: Benjamin John/Alamy

Staffer told by official it would be inappropriate for him to give evidence to review of scandal-hit benefit

The Department for Work and Pensions has been accused of blocking a whistleblower who repeatedly raised the alarm about carer’s allowance from giving evidence to an independent review of the scandal-hit benefit.

The DWP staffer was told by a senior official it was inappropriate to share with the review their knowledge of the inner workings of a system that has become notorious for its often cruel treatment of unpaid carers.

The review will examine how hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers ended up with huge debts and in some cases a criminal record for mostly minor and accidental breaches of carer’s allowance benefit earnings rules.

Approached by the Guardian last month with evidence that officials had rejected requests from individual staff members to make submissions to the review, the DWP said there was “no blanket ban” and it wanted “everyone” to contribute.

However, when the whistleblower, Enrico La Rocca, subsequently reapplied for permission he was told by the DWP’s personnel department that it would not be appropriate for him to give evidence.

Ministers announced the review in October after a Guardian investigation that revealed DWP officials and Conservative ministers had allowed flaws in the system to continue for years, despite promises to fix the problems.

…

Article continues at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/03/dwp-blocked-whistleblower-giving-evidence-to-carers-allowance-review

Continue ReadingDWP ‘blocked whistleblower giving evidence to carer’s allowance review’

Disabled Brits suffering ‘unacceptably poor’ treatment at hands of the DWP, damning report finds

Spread the love

https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/disability-benefits-claimants-unacceptable-service-dwp/

Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, speaking in parliament. Image: Flickr/ House of Commons

Disability benefits claimants are experiencing “unacceptably poor service” from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), according to a damning report from the Public Accounts Committee.

It said that it is “concerning that DWP is not providing a decent service to all its customers, who include some of the most vulnerable in society and some of those with the most complex needs”.

In particular, it said claimants of disability benefits including personal independence payment (PIP) and employment and support allowance (ESA) are receiving an “unacceptably poor service”.

This has the potential to be “detrimental” for people who are already facing “real pressures in their daily lives”, the report found.

It is released as the government continues to pledge to slash the welfare bill, with a particular focus on the growing numbers of people claiming disability benefits.
…

https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/disability-benefits-claimants-unacceptable-service-dwp/

Keir Starmer confirms that he's proud to be a red Tory continuing austerity and targeting poor and disabled scum.
Keir Starmer confirms that he’s proud to be a red Tory continuing austerity and targeting poor and disabled scum.

Continue ReadingDisabled Brits suffering ‘unacceptably poor’ treatment at hands of the DWP, damning report finds