Here we go again…..
Theresa May is ‘truly shocked’…. Shocked at what? Benefit underpayment or maybe tax theft..? No, benefit fraud. The DWP have released the figures regarding Fraud and Error in the Benefit System: April 2008 to March 2009 . And the ‘£3bn lost’ is making Tories like May froth at the mouth.
No suprise there….
But let’s put this in perspective. What May et al conveniently forgot to mention is, for example, underpayments of benefits. This is the first release by the DWP regarding these figures on fraud and error so I will be interested in underpayment figures for the same period (April 2008 – March 2009).
Between April 2007 and March 2008 and even discounting those claimants who are entitled to benefit but who do not apply and those whose applications are incorrectly refused – those who made a claim for benefit and were made an award were underpaid £1.1 billion. Furthermore figures for 2007/2008 show that 1.2 million awards for Tax Credits were underpaid during the year, amounting to £798 million.
And also the amount of money lost due to ‘error and fraud’ is a drop in the financial ocean when comparing it to tax evasion and avoidance (something in the region of between £97bn and £150bn is lost in tax theft).
The spotlight falls on the poor in this society, the claimant who is trying to make ends meet by taking on some work whilst not disclosing it to the state and the rich and powerful who have the luxury of not having to worry about money but get away with tax avoidance and evasion cos they can…..
November 5, 2009 at 6:29 pm |
“the claimant who is trying to make ends meet by taking on some work whilst not disclosing it to the state”
aka
– the thief
– the liar who, by working, provides ample evidence of his capacity to do so
On the subject of tax – the numbers you quote are indeed staggering. However, as you rightly state, (and the Guardian’s contributor has his facts wrong) they include tax avoidance which happens, unlike benefit fraud, to be legal.
Tax evasion, on the other hand, should indeed be pursued with vigour. Tax evaders and benefit fraudsters should be locked up together.
November 6, 2009 at 10:41 pm |
When I went to my tribunal there was a man there who had an adjourned case, from a few months ago, who had his case delayed *again* until early Feb (at earliest no date set yet).
In this time he wont receive any disability benefits at all. Its not just people not claiming, but the DWP stopping people claiming with more methods than just sanctions.