Gov Access to Bank Accounts for those in receipt of SP

ian16527

Cant the police check on what banks accounts you have? Watching one of those documentaries on TV where they showed this

pinnks

Various agencies have powers to obtain banking information, and that includes DWP but most or all of those powers require a reason linked to suspected issues.  This power is wider. It says:

"The power may be exercised only for the purpose of assisting the Secretary of State in identifying cases which merit further consideration to establish whether relevant benefits are being paid or have been paid in accordance with the enactments and rules of law relating to those benefits."

That means a "notice" can be given to a bank to provide proscribed information to just check, rather than because there is a suspicion of wrongdoing.  That, linked to the fact that all benefits are covered, is, I think, what is causing concern across all parties.  But, it has now passed through the Commons and if the Lords has nothing to say on it, then it will become law.

mebu60

ggmf said:

Steve_666_ said:

pinnks said:

Steve_666_ said:

Two bank accounts, one for the state pension...

That won't work as, the way I read it, the draft legislation allows access to all of your accounts

humm, and how do they discover all of my accounts, unless they have access to all accounts within the UK. 

Because your accounts are linked and traceable by your NI number?  So HMRC can track and collect tax on interest payments where due?

You won't trace most of my accounts using my NINO apart from my ISAs and HMRC are not interested in the interest on those. They use other factors to (try to) link accounts to an individual such as name, DoB and address. 

stripling

flaneurs_lobster said:

What on earth does "look into the bank account" actually mean? Don't the authorities already have such powers if someone is being investigated for criminal activity?

Very long stretch to imagine that the only reason for this (whatever "this" is) would be a means-tested state pension. 

At the moment there is a presumption of innocent until suspected of something concretely dodgy in which case, powers already exist to investigate bank accounts - ie for benefit or tax fraud. 

This new power, aimed at anyone claiming the state pension, opens up everyone to investigation without any need for suspicion. Monitoring it will be via algorithms and if administered by bank software, you can guarantee the banks will over-compensate as they already do for 'money laundering'.  MPs across party lines objected to it but they had it sprung on them with no warning and didn't have time to organise whichbis how it passed with a majority of 60.. The entire Bill is toxic but this addition is really bad news. 

No, it's not a long stretch to imagine it would enable means-testing - that has long been an aim of certain sections of the political right, they just wouldn't dare say it out loud in one go.  Already pensions have moved over to being referred to, and administered as, 'benefits' which they aren't, technically speaking, in a kind of semantic sleight of hand. Britain's state services - healthcare, pensions, infrastructure etc., are some of the weakest in Europe but they didn't have to be - they were eroded bit-by-bit. 

Not only is this move, which was slipped into the Data Bill at the last minute so it couldn't be scrutinised, incredibly authoritarian, it is putting frameworks in place ahead of fundamental changes - like termites eating a building from the inside. It really needs fighting vigorously for everyone's sake specially for the next generation.  Otherwise the citizenship will be in hoc to insurance companies for their health care and their pensions never mind anything else. Dreadful stuff..... 

squirrelpie

Should I be writing to my MP, or signing a petition? And where is this issue most clearly described, with references?

Dazed_and_C0nfused

squirrelpie said:

Should I be writing to my MP, or signing a petition? And where is this issue most clearly described, with references?

Try here (Supporting the long-term unemployed into work)

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-statement-2023/autumn-statement-2023-html

And here,

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6285e7f3d3bf7f1f46f9b6a5/fighting-fraud-in-the-welfare-system-large.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjZrczl0_aCAxV4VEEAHbemBKEQFnoECCQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2Bdij2MEUmogsO_9UC-xfw

LHW99

Monitoring it will be via algorithms........

So if they decideyou're dead and shouldn't be getting a pension you've really had it

stripling

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

squirrelpie said:

Should I be writing to my MP, or signing a petition? And where is this issue most clearly described, with references?

Try here (Supporting the long-term unemployed into work)

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-statement-2023/autumn-statement-2023-html

And here,

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6285e7f3d3bf7f1f46f9b6a5/fighting-fraud-in-the-welfare-system-large.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjZrczl0_aCAxV4VEEAHbemBKEQFnoECCQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2Bdij2MEUmogsO_9UC-xfw

Those two links are nothing to do with what is being discussed in this thread which is a last minute addition to the Data Bill regarding monitoring of bank accounts for anyone who claims the state pension. 

stripling

squirrelpie said:

Should I be writing to my MP, or signing a petition? And where is this issue most clearly described, with references?

It will be in Hansard if you want to read it -  it passed by 60 votes with cross-party opposition.
It's too soon for deep analysis - there was a short video of a question about it in the House of Commons which will be on the parliamentary TV channel. 
But as it overlaps with my work, I'll post anything useful I find when it appears. Martin Lewis retweeted the HoCs question about the threat of means-testing so if you are on Twitter check his timeline. 

cfw1994

I thought the elderly were meant to be the beating heart of Conservative voters 🧐

Feels odd, when Sir John Wittingdale stated that "the Government have made it clear that there is no intention to focus on claimants of the state pension."

If that was the case, then remove any reference to recipients of State Pensions from the amendment.

As someone else commented: if Labour had popped up with this, it would be headline news.   
What an outrageous way to treat pensioners.   Big Brother all over it.