Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill 2024-5
The Government is rushing through alarming new powers to spy on all our bank accounts - justified under the premise of tackling welfare fraud.
They quietly published the full text of the bank spying bill late last week, and they’re already planning to debate it in the House of Commons on Monday.
But this is a cruel expansion of government power.
The bill would allow DWP to:
• constantly monitor the population’s bank statements
• take money directly out of bank accounts
• revoke driving licences
• search houses & devices
BILL TO
Make provision about the prevention of fraud against public authorities and
the making of erroneous payments by public authorities; about the recovery
of money paid by public authorities as a result of fraud or error; and for
connected purposes.
B E IT ENACTED by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present
Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
PART 1
FUNCTIONS EXERCISABLE ON BEHALF OF PUBLIC AUTHORITIES
CHAPTER 1
KEY CONCEPTS
1 Core functions of the Minister for the Cabinet Office 5
(1) The Minister for the Cabinet Office (“the Minister”) has the following functions
(“the core functions”)—
(a) investigating suspected fraud against public authorities,
(b) recovering amounts mentioned in subsection (2),
(c) taking enforcement action in connection with fraud against public 10
authorities, and
(d) providing support to public authorities in relation to preventing and
tackling fraud against them.
(2) The amounts are—
(a) payments made as a result of fraud or error that— 15
(i) the Minister has identified or confirmed during the course of
an investigation in respect of suspected fraud against a public
authority, and
(ii) the public authority is entitled to recover,
(b) any other amount that a public authority is entitled to recover in 20
respect of fraud, and....
Page 19
(2) The Minister must revoke a direct deduction order as soon as reasonably
practicable after becoming aware that—
(a) the payable amount has been recovered (whether by the Minister or
the public authority on behalf of which the Minister is acting), or
(b) the liable person to whom the order relates has died. 5
(3) Where the Minister revokes a direct deduction order, the Minister must give
a notice of the revocation to—
(a) the bank to which the order was given,
(b) the liable person (apart from in a case within subsection (2)(b)), and
(c) in the case of a joint account, each of the other account holders. 10
31 Further information notices
(1) For the purposes of determining whether to revoke or vary a direct deduction
order, the Minister may give a bank a notice (a “further information notice”)
requiring the bank—
(a) to GIVE the Minister STATEMENTS for
an account held by the liable person 15
covering —
(i) the three months immediately before the notice was given, or
(ii) such longer period, ending immediately before the notice was
given, as may be specified in the notice;
(b) to take the steps set out in paragraphs (a) to (c) of section 19(5). 20
(2) Subsections (6) to (8) and (10) of section 19 apply in relation to a further
information notice as they apply in relation to a notice under that section.
(3) Before giving a further information notice to a bank requiring statements to
25
be given in respect of a joint account, the Minister must notify each account
holder other than the liable person—
(a) that the notice will be given, and
(b) of the effect of the notice.
(4) A further information notice may be given to the bank before, at the same
time as or after the Minister complies with section 29(3).
32 Suspension of direct deduction orders 30
(1) The Minister may suspend and re-start the requirement to make deductions
and payments under a regular direct deduction order at any time by notifying
the bank to which the order was given.
(2)
35
This Bill has a second reading in Parliament on 3rd February, 2025.
Comments