David Cameron & Issue of Fraud

elainebadknee

Hi All

Just watched news and the issue of the government tackling fraud. While Mr Cameron has a point and there must be lots being claimed for fraudulently does he have selective memory of what the MPs did recently? These people of power not only comitted fraud, but theft and if it were you or I we would be prosecuted in a court of law. As it is to my mind there are only four of these MPs being prosecuted and who knows what sort of punishment they will recieve. Im sure some of his £1.5billion total could have been less so if a more strong example of punishing MPs for this serous flouting would have been better received by members of the public.

Elainex

livinglegend

When I checked on the DWP figures that he gave out in his speech, this is what I noticed.

Fraud and error accounts for £5.3bn.

Fraud accounts for £1.5bn.

To me, this meant that fraud and error 5.3bn - fraud 1.5bn = error 3.8bn). So, Cameron is stating that DWP errors cost £3.8bn. The ongoing incompetence of the DWP is costing the taxpayer at least two and a half times the level of fraud.

But then, (not so fast with the maths, Livinglegend), as Cameron continued, "errors amounted to £1.6bn". In his DWP dreams!

It makes MP's expense fiddles look like small change.

Joseph 8)

speedalong

The whole thing is driving me crazy ... words fail me.

Speedy

livinglegend

Having been digging a bit deeper into the maths of benefit fraud, there is more.

The total paid in benefits for this year is estimated to total £164.7bn. If Cameron gets rid of all the suspected benefit cheats then the DWP will save £1.5bn, which is a negligible 0.9%. This saving will be swallowed up many times over by altering all the rules, dealing with complaints and the large payments to private contractors to encourage them to go 'bounty hunting'.

Cameron says the contractors will be paid according to the number rejected, so it should be obvious that the more legitimate claimants they reject, the higher the bonus. If the contractor, let's call them A**s, purely for theoretical purposes, simply rejects everyone, rightly or wrongly, then they get higher bonuses. Just letting a trickle through for appearance sake, (6% is about right).
Does this obnoxious, money grabbing, heartless tactic start to sound familiar to people?

It now seems that Cameron and IDS intend to spend about £6bn per year on contracts in order to save £1.5bn. Even Darling wasn't that good at failed policies.

The name A**s, chosen at random, was included for purely theoretical purposes and should NOT be taken to represent any companies with similar names or tactics.

Joseph 8)

speedalong

So Joseph, armed with this information - what are you going to do with it? You need to make it more public than just on the forum?

Speedy

livinglegend

speedalong wrote:

So Joseph, armed with this information - what are you going to do with it? You need to make it more public than just on the forum?

Speedy

I am already getting the information out to the wider world. I have been posting comments to stories, mainly on The Times and Sky News and other national news websites for several weeks on just this subject. That's besides checking stories and information then bringing it to people's attention on this forum as well.

I am already doing my bit, it's time for other people to join in. Don't you agree?

Why don't you and others do similar comments/Letters to the Editor on other national or local newspaper or news sites? It's free to sign up and post, taking just a few minutes of your time. The more that different people post comments, the more it gets heard. Read the stories, then write in their comments box, usually below the story, what you think about it. That's all it needs.

Joseph 8)

dreamdaisy

A good point Joseph. Isn't there a GBS quote, something along the lines of 'a man who doesn't find that the circumstances of the world suits him, goes out and makes his own' in other words, don't sit and wait for change, instigate it. Repeated battering at a door will break it down, eventually.

Gordon and his fellow morons put so much beaurocracy in place it is no wonder that the DWP accounts for more of the costs than fraud, but whether credit rating firms carrying out investigations is the answer, well, I'm not sure on that one. The whole system needs to be changed. Where does one start? DD

silverbreak

dreamdaisy wrote:

Where does one start? DD

Well I guess they start with the help of the CFA's. Whilst lamentable it is not helpful to think that because MP's have been fairly creative with their own expenses that it's ok to defraud the DWP. DLA is not means tested anyway so Credit checks are not that helpful and all other benefits which are means tested should be looked at.

barbara12

My nephew has just been labeled a Fraud, because he can now walk on his artificial legs...he was doing so well and then this, he is wondering if it is worth going on.
Barbara x

dreamdaisy

That sounds ludicrous: he is doing precisely what he is meant to do, walk, but that does not mean that his difficulties have suddenly ended - artificial limbs bring about a whole new raft of problems. Where is the common sense? How exasperating! There are some very stupid people in charge of these systems. DD

frogmorton

Oh Barbara

the poor thing

Wonder why people try don't you sometimes :roll:

I am glad for him though - he has done well.

Love

Toni xx

elainebadknee

Barbara

Im sorry that your nephew feels he is labelled a fraud. He is dealing with artificial legs and sounds like he has done well and when he does how does he get rewarded? Awfully and i hope he doesnt keep his spirits down too long.....
For what its worth send him encouragement, not a lot i know.....

Elainex

barbara12 wrote:

My nephew has just been labeled a Fraud, because he can now walk on his artificial legs...he was doing so well and then this, he is wondering if it is worth going on.
Barbara x