{"id":1589678,"date":"2024-04-04T08:22:47","date_gmt":"2024-04-04T08:22:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/?p=1676873"},"modified":"2024-04-04T08:22:47","modified_gmt":"2024-04-04T08:22:47","slug":"the-dwp-is-hiring-surveillance-snoops-for-its-fascist-benefit-fraud-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2024\/04\/04\/the-dwp-is-hiring-surveillance-snoops-for-its-fascist-benefit-fraud-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"The DWP is hiring surveillance snoops for its fascist \u201cbenefit fraud\u201d plans"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you ever wanted a job bootlicking for Tory big brother Britain, look no further, because the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP<\/a>) has you covered. Champing at the bit to snoop into the DWP benefits of the most marginalised members of society?<\/p>\n

Well, it has a role just for you – as per the government’s latest machinations to persecute disabled, chronically ill, poor, and vulnerable people across the UK. Naturally, these new fraud-finder general jobs are part of the department\u2019s suite of new plans to \u201ccrack down\u201d on so-called \u201cbenefit fraud\u201d.<\/p>\n

DWP’s “benefit fraud” fiction<\/h2>\n

On 3 April, journalist Rachel Charlton-Dailey<\/a> broke<\/a> the news that the DWP has posted job listings for up to 25 \u201ccovert surveillance officers\u201d. As the Big Issue<\/em> reported:<\/p>\n

The job roles are, according to the advertisement on GOV.UK, part of the DWP\u2019s response to tackling fraud within the welfare system.<\/p>\n

The ad says: \u201cThe department utilises covert surveillance to gather evidence to prove\/disprove offences\u201d \u2013 although it is not clear what these offences are.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Of course, this wasn’t to tackle the multi-billions in dud covid<\/a> PPE type of fraud. Instead, these jobs are to wrangle with the criminal masterminds that are, largely, sick and out-of-work people barely surviving on<\/a> the lowest social security benefits in Northern Europe.<\/p>\n

As the Canary\u2019s<\/em> Steve Topple has previously pointed out<\/a>, \u201cbenefit fraud\u201d is, of course \u201ca right-wing construct not grounded in reality\u201d. More specifically, he has highlighted that<\/a> a significant proportion of the DWP\u2019s fraud estimates are not in fact from actual claimants. Instead, Topple has detailed how:<\/p>\n

much of the \u00a38.3bn the DWP promotes as fraud (and that the media dutifully laps up) is just based on assumptions and guesswork.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But why let the facts get in the way of a good scapegoating? Moreover, Charlton-Dailey noted that<\/a>:<\/p>\n

This latest recruitment drive comes after the government has upped its commitment to benefit fraud with its Fraud Strategy, which was released last year. According to GOV.UK the plan \u201csets out bold new measures to fight fraud against the welfare state\u201d and they say it will save the DWP \u00a31.3bn.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, let us get this straight. The government spaffed<\/a> multiple billions of pounds up the wall for rich Tory donors, and this new slick surveillance could help save the DWP – wait for it – a grand sum of \u00a31.3bn.<\/p>\n

Hang up your ballet shoes, as according to the DWP\u2019s latest hiring drive, your next job could be in benefit snooping (you just don\u2019t know it yet.)<\/p>\n

Sweeping new surveillance powers<\/h2>\n

Of course, the roles are part and parcel of the Tory government\u2019s sweeping new surveillance plans for the DWP.<\/p>\n

Specifically, it\u2019s currently trying to<\/a> ram through a series of new powers to enable the department to spy on the bank accounts of benefit claimants. It is doing so through the innocuously titled Data Protection and Digital Information Bill.<\/p>\n

So far, campaigners and media outlets have lambasted a litany of the DWP\u2019s souped-up surveillance schemes for things like:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • The use of<\/a> AI to detect fraud (What could possibly go wrong? I\u2019m old enough to remember when faulty AI wrecked the lives of 900 postmasters)<\/li>\n
  • Posing<\/a> a serious risk to disabled people who have set up bank accounts for social care<\/li>\n
  • Threatening<\/a> the dignity and privacy of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and other disability benefits claimants<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Over 40 organisations condemned<\/a> the bill’s surveillance powers in March in an open letter to work and pensions secretary Mel Stride. In it, groups including Disability Rights UK and Big Brother Watch argued that:<\/p>\n

    There are approximately 22.6 million individuals in the welfare system, including those who are disabled, sick, caregivers, job seekers, and pensioners. They should not be treated like criminals by default<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Meanwhile, a petition is calling on<\/a> the DWP to ditch the new surveillance plans.<\/p>\n

    Scapegoated as “scroungers”<\/h2>\n

    As the Guardian\u2019s<\/em> Frances Ryan pointed out, the surveillance roll-out is the inevitable end result of the government (and its corporate media lapdogs) painting benefit claimants as \u201cscroungers\u201d and a burden on the taxpayer:<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \n

    The government is seeking new powers for mass surveillance of the bank accounts of millions of benefit claimants to \u201cscan for fraud.\u201d Congrats to every politician and pundit who peddled the scrounger myth. This is where you took us. https:\/\/t.co\/QxyJbnd6nq<\/a><\/p>\n

    — Frances Ryan (@DrFrancesRyan) March 4, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n