Experian

I phoned the Experian credit reference agency up. I asked them would they give information about their own customers to the DWP. I was told twice that like any business the government will check the information themselves, Experian only hold the information. Experian will get paid for every check that the government do. It's out of their hands. I was informed that Experian would check information for the government. I was worried because that's all I really use is credit cards was I spending too much on them paranoid really. I am only spending the money that I get from the DWP because I am too ill to work.

I'm not surprised that the government will be handing taxpayers' money to Experian, as a number of Tory ministers and MPs have associations with this company

Crazydiamond wrote:

I'm not surprised that the government will be handing taxpayers' money to Experian, as a number of Tory ministers and MPs have associations with this company

The tax credit department has been using this company for sometime, I called the helpline some time ago and as an extra check they asked about some bills which was on record and of course I did not know the correct answer they then locked the account and told me I would be called by the local tax office to go in and prove who I was got the call withing 2 hours and arranaged to go in with water bill and passport and did they then set up 2 questions and answers.

The person I saw said they will be lots of people having to turn up in the coming months

what I also saw was a bank of phones that are free to use with direct lines to tax credit people at NO cost

so if your tax office is local and you want to save on 0845 charges just use there office phones

“Up to £300m could be saved from incapacity and benefit fraud by ensuring claimants are still alive”, see..
www.kable.co.uk/intelligent-data-matchin...aud-experian-08jun10

Although it is possible for some types of information under the Data Protection Act, and specialist powers provided by the Social Security Administration Act and Social Security Fraud Act it is still controversial regarding consent,, incorrect data, notification of data personal being used etc.

The Information Commissioners Office is looking into this and seeking further clarification from the DWP in relation to use of information provided by credit reference agencies to combat benefit fraud.... See “ICO Defends Privacy Interest over Benefit Crackdown” August 2010 www.ico.gov.uk/~/media/documents/pressre...RACKDOWN_110810.ashx

Over the summer I too spoke to the tax credit people and the lady asked if I agreed to her checking with Experian. I asked if I had any choice and after telling me it was for my benefit she went to check with a supervisor and then asked me the usual DOB etc questions that were not generated by Experian. She then set up a password etc that will be used from now on. It wasn't my intention to save the government money (ha ha) but I just didn't see why they needed to check me with a third party.

Has anyone else asked if they have to comply with Experian generated questioning??? Come on peeps - we'll be saving our lovely government money,..

adamant wrote:

“Up to £300m could be saved from incapacity and benefit fraud by ensuring claimants are still alive”, see..
www.kable.co.uk/intelligent-data-matchin...aud-experian-08jun10

Actually someone carrying on claiming someones benefit after they are dead is more commonplace than you might think.
(It is usually Old Age Pension though.)