Benefit Fraud and Daisy
My software, Daisy, has been used several times to combat mass fraud.
It was used to check winter fuel payments by the DSS. They drew a chart based on Surname and Post Code. In some cases they found severalclaimants at the same place. Some were genuine as they were old peoples’ homes, but others were fraud.
The software was also used to check student loan applications. I’m not saying how, but there was a large amount of multiple applications from people, who were never seen again.
It is possible to set up a system, where a large database of claimants for benefits or grants is analysed and then split down into groups, say based on town, post code or street. These can then be e-mailed as individual Excel spreadsheets to the fraud investigators responsible for that area.
The Anonymous Widower 
Benefit fraud is a big issue and one I get cross about when I read of people pretending to be disabled or chronically sick, or claiming for children they dont have etc etc.
I am disabled, and on DLA. In common with many others on this benefit I feel I need to justify why I am on it, because of the way the media goes on and on about the fraudsters who are well, and thus some people think all people on DLA are fraudulent
Comment by Liz P | August 10, 2010 |
In my view, the major problem is not benfit cheats, but outright fraud by criminal gangs. They find they can get benefit or student loans, individual learning accounts, winter fuel payments without too many checks, so they use the same documents to make multiple claims. As an example, it used to be that all you needed to get a student loan was a mobile phone number and being accepted on a course. Because there were no checks, some crooks got multiple loans and were never seen again.
I’m not denying there are benfit cheats, but let’s go for the criminals first. After all, a few of them banged up in prison and publicised in the papers, will make cheats think about being honest.
Comment by AnonW | August 10, 2010 |
The major problem is indeed criminal gangs, but the press love a story about someone on disability benefits running marathons or pole dancing or having a window cleaning round. Then the news programmes will interview someone about can be done about all these bad dishonest people who claim disability benefit when they are perfectly fit, and the public at large take that to mean that most people on disability benefit are fraudsters. It is hard to explain, I didnt understand until I was on the benefit myself.
As for student loans, I have come across folk who have applied for a got a loan, done a couple of weeks on the course and dropped out, but still collected the loan each term!
Comment by Liz P | August 10, 2010 |