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New anti-fraud legislation including DWP bank account checks for specific benefits could be widened to include more "proactive" measures. Parliament is currently considering a bill that would grant DWP investigators powers to access bank account details of claimants, ensuring people qualify for their payments.

The eligibility checks will initially focus on checking the accounts of those receiving Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, and Pension Credit. However, the draft legislation indicates that these measures could extend to other benefits.

Siobhan Blagbrough, a financial crime specialist at Ocean Finance, said that mistakes in benefit payments are "more common than many realise". She said: "Overpayments occur because claimants fail to report changes in circ

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