The Department for Work and Pensions has issued a warning over fraud as people exploit the social security system amid the cost of living crisis.
As Birmingham Live reports, previous scams have seen people able to secure advanced payments of up to £1,500. This has been on occasions of up to three times and a glitch in the application process saw some land several of these DWP loans, despite not being entitled to the money.Fraudsters posting as Job Centre staff or personal loan advisors, approached claimants who were looking for extra cash.
Back in May, the DWP launched a new 'Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System' as it announced that it was investing £613million over the next three years. This will go to bringing in 1,400 more staff to its counter-fraud teams and a new 2,000-strong team dedicated to reviewing existing Universal Credit claims, along with creating new legal powers to investigate potential fraud and punish the perpetrators.
The DWP said: "Welfare transactions last year totalled £258.2 billion – 22.5 per cent of all UK government spending. This makes the welfare system a target for deliberate fraud by both organised crime groups and opportunistic individuals.
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