Gov plans to use Experian to deal with benefit fraud/overpayments

[antone]

I appreciate that something needs to be done, but as someone mentioned earlier why not target thes foreigners who get houses in posh suburbs in London at our expense. There are many other foreigners ripping off the system on a daily basis and have never contributed anything towards NI & tax. I do nto have an issue with foreigners who worked their butts off like most of us and pay all taxes due and do not get child care allowance for kids living abroad!

 

You see, this kind of thing really saddens me. After all, as you (and others) have correctly observed in other threads here, there is an apparent media campaign to present false and unfair information about those who claim illness and disability-related benefits. They are portrayed as scroungers who aren't really sick, living in the lap of luxury at taxpayers' expense and using their doctors to assist them in this [problem].

 

That's nonsense, of course - it's the worst sort of Daily Mailism. This country isn't in the state it's in right now because sick people get paid a small amount of benefit. And the vast, vast majority of ESA, IB and IS claimants would really rather not be claiming those benefits, with all the associated hassle, poverty and indignity. The whole "sick=scroungers" things is a media fantasy, designed to obscure the fact that we're failing the most vulnerable in our society while rewarding those who are rich but apparently incompetent.

 

And so, as part of this presentation, we're told, by the same damn media that demonises the sick and disabled, that the real problem is the foreigners claiming benefits. They find egregious examples, like that family in LBK&C, and allow the reader to extrapolate for themselves, just like they find some rare example of a guy defrauding ESA or IB or whatever.

 

So those people who are demonised because they are sick buy into this farce, and end up, in turn, demonising the mythical foreigners who're "stealing all our benefits", even though this really doesn't resemble reality.

 

Here's what really saddens me: those who are themselves unfairly portrayed as scroungers in the media are quite happy to accept that some other group are the real scroungers, based on media portrayals - despite knowing from direct personal experience that the Daily Mail is full of s***. They were wrong about you - why in the hell would you think they'd be right about everything else?

[mills1]

Public money being used to pay to a private company.

Seems to me that the above warrants referral to article 8 of the human rights act.

The right to a private life.

Will be interesting to see the first case to go through.

[mills1]

It does make me think some people entitled who are say paranoid or ill or vlnerable, might worry excessively and not claim monies at all.

 

Hey why dont they trawl the mps finances to make sure they dont have any other incomes which could possible cause a conflict of interest, would they like that?

 

 

Precisely.

Look at it this way.

A person is approaching state pension age.

When met with the prospect of every ounce of their information being looked at they decide not to claim.

Now repeat that by x thousands or millions and suddenly Cameron has won !

[sillygirl1]

It does annoy me that the government seem to think that everyone should be 'whiter than white' when claiming benefit. All they have to do is bring back an old system which was two tier, if you had paid in you got more, if not you got the basic and that would sort some things out.

 

I hate the examples of large families they love citing who exist solely on benefits. I am one of seven, we have NEVER had lifelong benefits. I have had two three month periods in my working lifetime (I am now early 50s and have worked solidly apart from thos times since I was 17...) where I only got the basic benefits. I certainly didn't live the 'luxurious' lifestyle the media like to portray.

 

Daily Mailism stinks - they are a hypocritical paper - and don't even get me going on their mis-reported health columns!

[mills1]

This country is not far from exploding, I do not mean literally, more in line with what is happening in Greece.

The squeeze is being applied by the day by people in power who have no clue of the real world.

Recently we have around these parts seen action taken against loan sharks, and rightly so, the **** of the earth that they are.

But the latest brainwave will undoubtedly see people turn to the loan sharks with christmas fast approaching, sorry to mention, it is not that far away, and all the hard work done will be thrown away.

When they talk about Benefit fraud it is not split, by that I mean that they do not publish the amount for errors in the system seperately from the total figure.

But that would defeat the object and dumb down the impact of what they want to achieve in having us all believe.

If they are to do what they say, lets have a level playing field.

Lets stop handing out £3000.00 a time to every person who turns up at this border and turns around.

Lets stop paying child benefit to children who do not even live in this country.

Lets put politicians on the minimum wage plus reasonable expenses for a year.

Otherwise they should leave well alone.

[tabs666]

The majority of fraud is done by foreigners and by heck do they have credit cards etc not a hope. .

 

Not where I work, I've never investigated a foreign national, immigrant, economic migrant or anyone for whom English is not their first language.

 

That is just xenophobia.

[Fuzzgin]

You see, this kind of thing really saddens me. After all, as you (and others) have correctly observed in other threads here, there is an apparent media campaign to present false and unfair information about those who claim illness and disability-related benefits. They are portrayed as scroungers who aren't really sick, living in the lap of luxury at taxpayers' expense and using their doctors to assist them in this [problem].

 

That's nonsense, of course - it's the worst sort of Daily Mailism. This country isn't in the state it's in right now because sick people get paid a small amount of benefit. And the vast, vast majority of ESA, IB and IS claimants would really rather not be claiming those benefits, with all the associated hassle, poverty and indignity. The whole "sick=scroungers" things is a media fantasy, designed to obscure the fact that we're failing the most vulnerable in our society while rewarding those who are rich but apparently incompetent.

 

And so, as part of this presentation, we're told, by the same damn media that demonises the sick and disabled, that the real problem is the foreigners claiming benefits. They find egregious examples, like that family in LBK&C, and allow the reader to extrapolate for themselves, just like they find some rare example of a guy defrauding ESA or IB or whatever.

 

So those people who are demonised because they are sick buy into this farce, and end up, in turn, demonising the mythical foreigners who're "stealing all our benefits", even though this really doesn't resemble reality.

 

Here's what really saddens me: those who are themselves unfairly portrayed as scroungers in the media are quite happy to accept that some other group are the real scroungers, based on media portrayals - despite knowing from direct personal experience that the Daily Mail is full of s***. They were wrong about you - why in the hell would you think they'd be right about everything else?

 

 

I completely agree. It's called divide and rule and has served goverments well for centuries. Make the second poorest group in society kick the poorest and they won't notice who is really doing very well out of it.

[jabba jones]

Not where I work, I've never investigated a foreign national, immigrant, economic migrant or anyone for whom English is not their first language.

 

That is just xenophobia.

 

 

You've never used an interpreter in an IUC???

 

Where I worked about 10% of people I interviewed required an interpreter, however it is an area with a very high % of immigrants & their families.

 

However most people I investigated had British names. Ssshh just don't tell the Daily Heil sorry Mail.

 

Going back to Experian, the Fraud department have been using both them & Equifax for quite some time already. I presume IF this new project goes ahead they'll start scanning all means tested claims rather than supplying details on cases requested by the Fraud dept. They will then get paid extra for each anomaly that comes up. If it works I personally don't have a problem with it. If you don't have anything to hide then you've not got anything to worry about

[lordcrocket]

To be honest i can see a bad side to it aswel as equifax and the northampton county court bulk centre are well known for issueing illegal ccj's on persons credit files etc even though they have had a defence and use some cpr rule to back up they have authority over it etc i have evidence like many other's may have to back up what i'm stating and would be willing to post on here if you so wish to see it not a problem as the truth hurt's those who can not believe it as i could'nt beleive it myself what these company's can do and get away with

[redrum3wins]

Does anyone know just what experian know about us - the public. With the Government now using them as Bounty hunters, they will surely come up with a lot of false positves causing misery for sooo many people.

 

Do they automatically have details of all of our debit card transactions and exactly what and when we buy something?

 

There is so much confusion as to just what information they hold on us, some are led to believe this, whilst others that etc. So in essence does anyone really know the correct answers?

 

Thanks all.