The Conservatives have followed Labour’s lead in proposing even harsher sanctions for people accused of benefit fraud. This punitive approach is counterproductive.
It’s dispiriting to see the Conservatives today follow Labour’s lead in proposing even harsher sanctions for people accused of benefit fraud. There are several problems with this increasingly punitive approach.
Firstly, almost all those defrauding the system do so out of need, not greed. They need a few hours work to tide them over – to pay a surprise bill, or replace the microwave. Declaring it to the Jobcentre would mean any earnings are deducted from benefits, leaving them with no extra money. Punishing these people is unfair, but also destructive – they need stepping stones to a job and higher income, not sanctions. The occasional extreme case of greed you read about in the papers does not reflect the lives of most of those on benefits.
Secondly, benefit fraud is not as big a problem as either party might have you believe. Less than 1 per cent of benefit claimants commit fraud (56,000 out of 5.8 million), and more money is wasted each year on error (around £2 billion) than is given to people claiming fraudulently. Meanwhile, about £1.2 billion is underpaid, meaning people desperately in need of benefits do not receive them. Advertising campaigns that flame the public perception that everyone on benefits is a cheat are actively stigmatising and harmful.
Thirdly, while both parties would argue that sanctions act as a deterrent, they don’t seem to have considered the fate of those they sanction. These, by definition, are not people with wealth to fall back on. Denying people benefits, for 13 weeks or 3 years, is going to force them further into debt and eventually destitution. It’s hard to see how this is addressing the causes of poverty.
In short, politicians might be surprised to discover how much fraud would go down if they sorted out the benefits system so it worked better for the people it’s meant to serve. In the meantime, don’t drive people further into poverty.
13 Responses to “Cracking down on benefit fraud is counter-productive”
Miladysa
RT @andrewroche: Cracking down on benefit fraud is counter-productive http://ff.im/-iUCd0
Andrew Roche
Cracking down on benefit fraud is counter-productive http://ff.im/-iUCd0
lisa
I am a 36 year single mum of five and i phoned the benefits centre to tell them that i started work part time and no longer needed my income support they told me they would see to it, two weeks later i went to draw my pay out of the bank and found that i had more money than i should havwe had, only to be told by my bank that it was a payment from dwp, so i phoned them and once again explained that i was now working, they told me that i was entitled to that money, i then phoned them again when i realised i was still getting my income support in the bank, and the lady i spoke to told me that i wouldn’t get the money if i was not entitled to it, i asked three times are you sure because i do not want this coming back onto me and she said she would look into and write to me if it was to be changed i received a ltter stating that i was entilted to it and now 9 wqeeks on i have had a letter stating that i have to attend an interveiw for suspected crimainal benefit offence whilst in employmnt, can they do me for fraud when it was their mistake and i did declare that i was working three times and was told i was entitled to that money, i also questioned them twice on the matter and they continued to pay me income support so i just took it that they were right and i was still entitled to it