The Bill would allow banks to better investigate suspected fraud.
The Department for Work and Pensions are set to be granted powers to request information from the bank accounts of benefit claimants.
The Fraud, Error and Debt Bill will require banks and other financial institutions to share data that may help identify benefit fraud.
According to details from DWP, the legislation will give the Department powers to:
Better investigate suspected fraud and new powers of search and seizure so DWP can take greater control investigations into criminal gangs defrauding the taxpayer.
Allow DWP to recover debts from individuals who can pay money back but have avoided doing so, bringing greater fairness to debt recoveries.
Require banks and financial institutions to share data that may show indications of potential benefit overpayments
However the proposed Bill has been met with some scepticism, as millions of disabled people, pensioners and carers will be actively spied on, while Big Brother Watch said the whole population’s bank accounts are likely to be monitored for no good reason.
Big Brother Watch director Silkie Carlo said: “A financial snooper’s charter targeted to automate suspicion of our country’s poorest is intrusive, unjustified and risks Horizon-style injustice on a mass scale.”
Before the July election, 270,000 people signed petitions against the Conservative’s mass bank spying powers, which were dropped when the Conservative Government’s Data Protection and Digital Information Bill was defeated during the pre-election wash up.
Written by
Dan Raywood
Senior Editor
SC Media UK
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with more than 20 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 16 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Conference, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and ESET Security Days.
Outside work, Dan enjoys supporting Tottenham Hotspur, managing mischievous cats, and sampling craft beers.
