Start date for new DWP Eligibility Verification and ‘monitoring’ bank accounts to tackle benefit fraud

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Earlier this year the UK Government announced ‘the biggest fraud crackdown in a generation’ to reduce the amount of money being lost in the welfare system. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) estimates the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill will help save the taxpayer £1.5 billion over the next five years. ‌

New measures include driving bans of up to two years, for benefit cheats who repeatedly fail to pay back money they owe, powers enabling the DWP to recover money directly from fraudsters’ bank accounts and Eligibility Verification , which will allow third-party organisations such as banks to flag potential fraudulent benefit claims. ‌

In a series of 11 new factsheets published by the DWP, giving more insight into how the new measures will wor