Voice recognition pilot extended

The government will extend the pilot of voice recognition software in evaluating benefit claims - well overdue. The Guardian reports

The government also highlighted a pilot covering 25 local councils administering housing benefit to 500,000 claimants, saying "voice risk analysis technology" will be used to test whether a claimant is providing false information. The government first introduced the technology in Harrow in north London last year, but now says it plans to make the technology available nationwide. In the first three months Harrow council saved £300,000, suggesting levels of benefit fraud may be higher than government estimates.

You bet they are, as this blog has frequently stressed.

Harrow detected £363,000 of benefit fraud, and Lambeth £450,000 in five months. In the Lambeth pilot, 22% had their benefits stopped or cut, while Harrow reported that after they started the trial more than a quarter of claimants said they did not need the benefits as their conditions had changed.

The potential savings are huge.