Is there any joined-up policing by government?

peaksoft

Having been fascinated by the 10 pages of discussion that started with someone who wanted to massage his finances to make him (legally) eligible for State benefits, I wonder if there was actually any joined-up policing of declarations made by individuals.

Every time I want to open a savings account/hire an estate agent/buy Premium Bonds, etc, I have to produce evidence of my identity and residence, and even, in some cases, supply my NI number.

So if an individual (for example) turns 60, makes a claim for Pension Credit and declares £50,000 in savings, is there are prospect of the benefit police ever finding out that he actually has £100,000 in various accounts? I give that example because it's the only one I've read about on here that in my state of financial unsophistication, I am able to understand.

In other words, is all of the information that we supply ever correlated, so that someone will eventually say: "Hang on - this bloke's telling porkies!"?

dmg24

Yes, the DWP and HMRC can access details of claimants savings and income details.

I know you probably don't want to hear this (don't shoot the messenger!), but this is not really a topic for the Benefits board. The stickies at the top of the board explain further.

[Deleted User]

HMRC are linked with Experian these days.

peaksoft

dmg24 wrote: »

Yes, the DWP and HMRC can access details of claimants savings and income details.

I know you probably don't want to hear this (don't shoot the messenger!), but this is not really a topic for the Benefits board. The stickies at the top of the board explain further.

Many thanks. Just to push my luck....do they ever actually do this?

I don't recall ever seeing reports of any pensioners being hauled up in the local magistrates' court.

healy

peaksoft wrote: »

Many thanks. Just to push my luck....do they ever actually do this?

I don't recall ever seeing reports of any pensioners being hauled up in the local magistrates' court.

Yes they do find out about fraud this way. As far as pensioners go, I do get the impression that they can get away with things that others cant because as you say you dont read about them in fraud cases so much. Or they could just be more honest!

Conor_3

peaksoft wrote: »

Having been fascinated by the 10 pages of discussion that started with someone who wanted to massage his finances to make him (legally) eligible for State benefits, I wonder if there was actually any joined-up policing of declarations made by individuals.

In other words, is all of the information that we supply ever correlated, so that someone will eventually say: "Hang on - this bloke's telling porkies!"?

Like you wouldn't believe. My bro is in Housing and Council Tax Benefit. He tells me with some glee of the countless times they catch people out. HMRC, DWP and the council HB/CTB departments all interact and if one thinks there's something dodgy going on, they inform the others. He still, after several years doing the job, finds it incredulous that people think that they won't get caught out.