A benefits practitioner writes

Comment from a benefits practitioner:

It's an interesting subject Benefit Fraud, I continually read articles from people who say that Benefit Thieves should be hung, drawn and quartered, that's as may be, but what's the point of putting these people behind bars? They have had the tax payer's money, and if they reside in HMP who pays for it.... the tax payer! I was investigating benefit fraud from 1984 to 2001, since then I have prosecuted them, and I can tell you that each year the number I successfully prosecute increases. The DWP may only have 3,000 investigators but every Local Authority employs investigators too,some unit are large 20+ staff whilst others small as in 1. Every investigator, both DWP and LA, knows that they are only scratching the surface of the fraud that goes on. I think it would be fair to say that there are two major issues about the numbers investigated:

• Firstly resources, in this time of recession LAs are coming under increasing pressure to reduce staffing levels but when your resources are stretched and insufficient to start with, more fraud goes un-investigated.
  
  
• The second issue to the fact that the public on large do not see Benefit Fraud as a serious crime, it takes billions from the tax payer each year, but those tax payers also refuse to 'grass' on offenders. There has to be a serious look at changing the publics perspective and encourage them to contact the authorities.

So what would I recommend..... invest in more highly trained investigators, run an advertising campaign aimed at changing the public's perspective, actively encouraging them to come forward with information, point out that those billions that are stolen would build x number of hospitals, train y number of doctors, nurses teachers or policemen. (I know this works because I have done small presentations using local information.) Increase activity of computer matching schemes by adding data from more private and public organisations.

As to the sentencing, not only reduce benefits if caught, but ensure that its repaid and put the perpetrator to work in the community giving something back to the community they stole from.

There's much here to agree and disagree with. I'll respond tomorrow.