WELFARE DATA WATCH

Join our investigation to uncover the Government’s use of secret algorithms that shape the welfare system and disadvantage society’s poorest, by using our simple tool.

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POVERTY PANOPTICON

Our 9-month long investigation “Poverty Panopticon: The Hidden Algorithms Shaping Britain’s Welfare State” revealed how councils across the UK are conducting mass profiling of welfare and social care recipients and “citizen scoring” to predict fraud, rent non-payments and major life events. Huge databases predict if children are at risk of abuse or if people could likely to become involved in future criminality or even if they’re being abused.

We can now lift the lid on what life is like inside the UK's poverty panopticon.

Inside the UK's Poverty Panopticon

Black box algorithms and secretive AI tools sit at the heart of the UK's welfare system - with little accountability. Our investigation offers a glimpse into life inside the UK’s poverty panopticon.

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keywords

Mapped

Find out if your local council uses people's personal data to decide if they are a ‘fraud risk’ using our interactive map.

OUR KEY FINDINGS

540,000 benefits applicants secretly assigned fraud risk scores by councils’ algorithms before they can access support.

Personal data from 1.6 million people living in social housing is processed by commercial algorithms to predict rent non-payers

250,000+ people’s personal information processed by secretive automated tools that try to predict if they’ll be abused, become homeless, or become involved in crime

Read the report by clicking here or on the image below

Image with link to the report titled Poverty Panopticon: The hidden algorithms shaping Britain's welfare state

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Submit a SAR

If you receive Housing Benefit and want to help our investigation, submit a Subject Access Request using our template

Submit a SAR

Make a Subject Access Request

You are legally entitled to ask any organisation how they use your information and why. A Subject Access Request lets you ask what data your council or the DWP holds on you and how it is used.

The responses you get will be vital to our research - if you decide to share it confidentially with Big Brother Watch. In return, we promise to do everything we can to explain how your data is being processed.

If you receive Housing Benefit and want to help our investigation, follow these three simple steps:

1. Fill in this form

2. Copy and paste the letter below into the “Information You Need Box”

We suggest a date range for the request from 1st January 2019 to the present day.

It is important to include a) your contact details; b) any additional information (account numbers, etc.) that the council may use to distinguish you from others.

You may be asked to provide a copy of an ID to make sure you’re getting the right data, this is completely normal.

3. Send the results in confidence to info@bigbrotherwatch.org.uk

If you have any questions, email us and we will be happy to help.

Click to copy

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to submit a Subject Access Request for information held on me by the Department for Work and Pensions.

I am solely requesting information about the processing of my data in relation to the Housing Benefit Accuracy Award Initiative (HBAAI).

Please furnish me with:

The data about me inputted into the HBAAI algorithm.

The risk score/similar generated about me by the algorithm.

Details on how this data was processed, including details of any automated and/or algorithmic process used to aid in decision making.

Please also explain any other profiling, algorithm or automated aid to decision making applied to me or my data.

Best Wishes,

IN THE MEDIA

The Guardian – DWP algorithm mistakenly flags 200,000 people for possible fraud and error

June 23, 2024

BBC – Secretive algorithms screening millions of welfare claimants

July 20, 2021

New Statesman – How surveillance within the welfare system is affecting Britain’s poorest people

July 20, 2021

Go to media

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Big Brother Watch

We rely on your support to help our relentless battle against surveillance and censorship. Everything you give goes directly to our campaigning efforts to defend freedom. We fight to win – donate today.

DONATE

WELFARE DATA WATCH

Join our investigation to uncover the Government’s use of secret algorithms that shape the welfare system and disadvantage society’s poorest, by using our simple tool.

TAKE ACTION

POVERTY PANOPTICON

We can now lift the lid on what life is like inside the UK's poverty panopticon.

Mapped

OUR KEY FINDINGS

540,000 benefits applicants secretly assigned fraud risk scores by councils’ algorithms before they can access support.

Personal data from 1.6 million people living in social housing is processed by commercial algorithms to predict rent non-payers

250,000+ people’s personal information processed by secretive automated tools that try to predict if they’ll be abused, become homeless, or become involved in crime

Take Action

Join us!

Subscribe

Submit a SAR

Make a Subject Access Request

IN THE MEDIA

The Guardian – DWP algorithm mistakenly flags 200,000 people for possible fraud and error

BBC – Secretive algorithms screening millions of welfare claimants

New Statesman – How surveillance within the welfare system is affecting Britain’s poorest people

Join our email list

Donate to Big Brother Watch

Donate to
Big Brother Watch