PM Keir Starmer’s Government recently announced plans to snoop on all of our bank accounts under the premise of dealing with welfare fraud and error. Privacy and civil liberties campaigners have slammed these plans as intrusive and excessive. Now, these plans include giving the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) powers to forcibly take money from benefits recipients’ bank accounts. Private companies could also be given powers to report on benefits recipients to the Government.
Commenting on this, Silkie Carlo, director for Big Brother Watch said:
“This blank cheque to force private companies to snoop and report on the country’s poorest citizens to the state is intrusive, excessive and will create a culture of fear among millions of people claiming benefits.
For a Labour government to introduce tough investigatory powers more typical of a counter-terror context to Britain’s welfare system is an alarming attack on privacy and yet another assault on the poor.”
The Telegraph – DWP to take money directly from bank accounts in benefit fraud crackdown
The Mirror – DWP to take money straight from bank accounts and payslips in new benefit crackdown
GBN – DWP set to take money straight from bank accounts and wages in benefit fraud crackdown
Econostrum – DWP Granted Authority to Take Money from Bank Accounts in Fraud Fight