News

A joint taskforce made up of the DWP, HMRC and local authorities will be targeting ‘​high risk’​ postcode areas to check on benefits claims. The taskforce was launched on 25 of July in the Perry Barr and Kingstanding areas of Birmingham and will be rolled out nationally in the autumn.

According to the DWP:

“​The Mobile Regional Taskforce will scrutinise the claims of a high proportion of current benefit customers within a specific geographical location, regardless of age, gender, ethnic make-up, type of benefit recipient, income, disability breakdown or family status.”​

It is likely that the main targets of the taskforce will be single people who are considered to be, in reality, cohabiting. However, the aggressive and hate-filled language of the DWP and the media is likely to cause considerable levels of fear amongst sick and disabled claimants, many of whom have previous experience of being wrongly targeted by fraud investigators.

The DWP have issued a press release on the launch of the taskforce.