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DWP Threatens Powers Of Arrest Also Wanting To Monitor Claimant Spending

Well it appears that the DWP have been busy conducting a survey about the concerning list of proposed new powers they’re wanting to implement.

These include:

Trained DWP investigators having arrest powers


Trained DWP investigators having search and seizure powers


Collecting information about where claimants are spending money


Apparently the DWP research findings reveal that a majority of the public questioned were in favour of every one of these measures being introduced.

Combine this with the constant failing of the DWP system, it’s dire incompetence, lack of any unaccountability and data leaks the very suggestion that staff could arrest claimants and seize their possessions is likely to worry and cause distress for thousands of people.



The draconian suggestion that the DWP could start looking at how claimants spend their money is also going to cause distress.

George Orwell wasn’t wrong was he.

This week the first King’s Speech promised proposals to “reform welfare and support more people into work” whilst giving no details of how they’re going to do this.

It makes me wonder if the above are included in these supposed reforms but I hope they aren’t.

I’d like to question the legality of their proposed plans, is it within the law for the DWP to access claimants bank accounts without permission? Would that in itself be a serious data leak?

If this is allowed will people be sanctioned for spending their money on what the DWP could regard as being ‘wrong’, will they have a list of items that claimants won’t be allowed to purchase?

I’d like to see these proposals being challenged by those that can do this.

It’s hard enough having to live whilst claiming social security, the cost of living and rising energy costs have made everyday living much harder.

Every day more people are forced to access foodbanks for help because they can’t afford to eat.

Winter is also on it’s way and it’s pretty cold where I live, this will result in more people forced to live in cold damp homes

Having a decent quality of life has become a long forgotten thing, a dream of the past and we deserve so much more than this.

The sooner this corrupt government is out of power the better because the public can’t take much more.

Thanks to Benefit And Work for their original reporting of this.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

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Any help towards keeping my blog going will be very welcome, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t having sleepless nights worrying about this.

Thank you.

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29 thoughts on “DWP Threatens Powers Of Arrest Also Wanting To Monitor Claimant Spending”

  1. Here’s a snapshot of UC Life as lived by someone who does part time work
    I was emailed yesterday by an employer offering an interview at less than 24 hours notice for today
    I can’t go to the interview today as I have a furniture delivery coming and no time slot ( I could get sanctioned as I’m meant to be able to interview anytime). The charity shop only delivers Monday and Friday and wouldn’t hold it past today
    No problems, the employer was happy to re schedule Monday
    I can’t go to work today, because I m waiting for the delivery (again I could be sanctioned because I’m not available for work with no good reason).. my supervisor has given me the day. This will be unpaid. As my workplace shuts between June and August I’m not allowed even one day of annual leave, as I have to take all then.
    Even if I was allowed annual leave, I would still have to be available to the jobcentre an any time. This is quite frankly a shit job with no flexibility but again if the jobcentre found out I’d refused it when offered I’d be sanctioned. And they want to make our lives harder??
    I won’t even add that it’s my 3 piece suite I’m getting, and I’ve been living in my bedroom since I moved in in February, and it’s a second hand suite from the charity shop bought with part of my COL payment but I’m just so pleased to be housed now, and grateful I can finally get a suite, surely housing and basic furniture is a right??

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    1. Kat, it’s just awful, there’s no humanity in the system, and that’s now, before they introduce AI. I’m so reluctant to transfer to U that’s why I’m still sticking it out on ‘legacy’ JSA instead of getting a “fit note” and then having to apply for LCWRUC. JSA is bad enough but not quite as bad as UC. My Work Coach is now banging on about me doing an adult apprenticeship in Warehouse work (Supply Chain summat or other) at the local college with some sort of unpaid Work Placement that might lead to a job. Great if you’re aged 20 to 40 with good health, not great if your over 60 with Rheumatoid Arthritis and a couple of hernias! I’ve only about another 3&1/2 years to do to Retirement.

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      1. Trev that’s insane!! WTF? An adult apprenticeship for a 60+ yr old with arthritis hernias who sometimes needs a stick to walk?? If they try to send you, turn up to the warehouse using your stick. They’ll have to send you home. It’s all bloody madness

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    2. Off topic but: I’m laughing. I now live in Wales, moving from SE England. Obviously my accent is different. Today I had a very nosy Evri driver ask me if these flats were social housing and I said yes and named the provider. He looked at me and said so how did YOU get one? I smiled sweetly and said oh I was homeless, no I wasn’t drug or alcohol or gambling addicted and I work part time! I had NEVER seen anyone wind their neck in and shut up so quickly! I mean really it’s not his business but I never did anything wrong, and in future he might just think twice…..

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  2. They really hate spending our money on us don’t they? More than happy to fund foreign wars, vanity projects, giving contracts to friends and family etc but as for helping their actual citizens we’re bottom of the pile! They should have to publish every year a report which explains exactly where all the money goes and all MPs expense accounts should be public!

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  3. How will this outrage work? Will they monitor people deemed to be earning enough IE 35 hours on minimum wage but still needing a top up(disgraceful in itself?) Will indeed claimants be asked, why did you spend £5 on washing powder, you can get happy shopper for £1.99? I don’t see them baying to monitor bank accounts of ppl newly released from prison (not that they should), so we are worse than criminals? I’m actually outraged by this. It’s our good names they’re trashing with no evidence. It really is Arbeit macht Frei

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    2. Also another thought; I’m sure I read some DWP staff working part time have to claim UC and see a coach at a different jobcentre to their own, how will they feel about having their accounts monitored? I swear if they do this, I will keep enough in my account to cover rent, utilities etc, and withdraw the rest in cash. I’ll spend it as I do now, but they won’t see what I spent it on or where!!

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    3. Once you point out the realities of such a proposal it quickly falls apart. Policy written on the back of a fag packet is just unworkable Tory bluster to placate the Right-wing Daily Mail readers. Besides which it would to be too costly to ever be fully implemented. It probably just means in reality that those who are suspected of committing fraud on an organized level can be more fully investigated by the DWP before it goes to the Police, though it may also include anyone suspected of doing undeclared work.

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      1. The system is a shambles! Earlier I went through the 13 weeks of weekly meetings, then it went to 2 weeks, then I earned enough for 4 months but now I’m back on weekly meetings again, Even though I proved I can and do work. So I just had my 2nd week appointment video call, and as they’re so short staffed, they’re seeing me in 2 weeks anyway as there’s no slots next week! I so feel like going on the daily mail (fail)! Website and saying that, there’s a horrible article about monitoring our accounts, the turkeys are all in favour, but do they think it could be them next month, or a loved one??

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  4. I know here in the U.S., there are certain things we can’t spend our Food Stamps on but that list should be revamped. Example, feminine hygiene products and Toilet Paper. These are necessary items to live. Candy on the other hand is more of a luxury but you can still use Food Stamps for it.

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  6. “Collecting information about where claimants are spending money”

    What money?! OK so I just got the 300 quid cost of living payment, which won’t last long, and in any case there wouldn’t be a need for these extra payments if we had an adequate Social Security system that actually covered the basic costs of living. What am I spending it on? So far food, cat food, Water, Council Tax, a shopping trolley (£15 on ebay) because I can no longer carry it in bags or in my backpack without pain, some health supplements for general well being and osteocare, and the rest will go on food and bills between now and Christmas. They certainly won’t find any unexplained large purchases on my bank statement or PayPal account that’s for sure.

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  7. As our civilisation stumbles myopically to its end, who could ever have guessed that it would be brought about the wilful inhumanity, ignorance and misanthrope of the top one percent against ordinary people. Do they really not know or understand that it is we the people who make society work, who fight their bloody wars and slave for a pittance, whilst they live lives of mindless privilege and luxury? As Suella Braverman preaches ever more vile hate speech against the most vulnerable people of the world and attempts to make it a crime to protest and express care for the weak and suffering whose only crime is in being inconveniently alive, they revel in the death and genocide they are entirely responsible for and celebrate their own sick bloody righteousness. I hope I live long enough to see them fall and I hope it is worse for them than anything they have ever dished out.

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      1. You my friend are a perfect example of the care lavished out by ordinary people. The suffering they’ve caused is beyond cruel because it’s not that examples such as yours are not written down, witnessed and available, it’s that they they hate and revel in the suffering they cause. You know only too well that Ashton-under-Lyne was specifically chosen to suffer at their hands. You’ve logged it every step of the way, as you were able, and thank you for it Charlotte. Peace and love my friend. xxx

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    2. It’s the same tactics as used by other infamous Dictators throughout history, scapegoat the vulnerable to conceal the sins and/or failings of government and the rich. Kick those at the bottom, demonize the poor, sick, disabled and blame poverty on the poor. Marginalize those with little recourse to respond at every given opportunity, and if you do it often enough people will start to believe it; “Corbyn is a Commie/Terrorist supporter”, “the Unemployed are scroungers”, “immigrants are to blame for the housing crisis”, etc. Divide and rule.

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  8. Quite a few years ago I was in communication with my then MP (who was contacting the DWP) and wanted to know how the benefits were actually worked out, as in what they think we spend the money on, basically I was asking how they itemised the full amount they give us. They said they don’t work any itemisation out. So my question was not answered. So, I never got an answer as to how hey work the amounts out…

    So, WHY are they wanting to scrutinise our PRIVATE bank accounts?

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    3. At the moment if they get access to a person’s bank account they get sent a list of payments outgoing and incoming with the total. If they get any more than this, like who it’s paid too or what you take out of the account then it would be against GDPA rules.
      When they called me in, 2016, it was found that I had just £45 above the £6000 limit, I waited for them to contact me about paying it back then sent them a cheque for £85 that was the £45 plus then fine they put on it for being over £5,999.99p on the payment dates. After that any money that would take me over £6,000 on the payment dates I took out of the account a few days before the payment was due whether it was £10 or £400 I took it out over one or two days before the payment as the money is only affected if it’s in the account on the payment date and not before or a day or so after the payment date and put it back in the account the day the day the payment had gone into my account. It doesn’t matter how much is in the account between the payment dates it’s only on the payment date that counts and because of that between two payment dates you can have more than £6000 in the account but not on the payment date unless you receive another benefit like PIP they have to take the full 4 weeks payment off every time they want to calculate the money in the account.

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