Time For The Truth

I’ve discussed the behaviour of the DWP misusing Statistics on several occasions, from our successful petition asking the Welfare & Pensions Select to investigate these actions, to the introduction of  the newly formed single fraud investigation service, (SFIS), allegedly costing £140 million. The misrepresentation of information is how different Politicians have repeatedly spoken on Welfare Reform, they have persisted with their interpretations even after the UK Statistics Authority have refuted it.

The Governments rationale behind such conduct certainly indicates their increasing use of  psychological coercion with various Departments insisting, their version of data is correct rejecting all alternate information and separate opinions, they have devised rules that control the topics they determine permissible to discuss, and all communication is highly controlled.

A recent example of this was the development of  SFIS a cross Government strategy to reduce fraud and error”. I’ve previously considered the validity of the DWP’s claim, this group was established to save money, but with One Billion Pound being spent to reduce the cost of Fraud & Error, when the total annual amount lost  is One Billion Pound, this seems highly unlikely? The official press release from the DWP quoted Lord Freud’s claims “Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support fraud and error overpayments are at their lowest recorded levels.” Yet looking closer at this claim we find Council Tax data is no longer included in DWP figures, the responsibility has shifted to Local Authorities and this Tax is equivalent to  “2% of overall welfare expenditure” which is the difference  in Fraud and Error pre the inception of SFIS.

This example fulfils both the definition of  psychological coercion above and as used by Dr Lynne Friedli in her claim, Government uses such  to ‘formulate and gain consent for the current regime of welfare reform’. Friedli also discusses how psychological coercion affects the way both claimants feel about themselves and those not claiming benefits view others; this becomes even more relevant when the misuse of data by Government is reported verbatim by the media, as it reinforces the principles and purpose behind programmes like SFIS.

The incessant use of psychological coercion has multiple negative affects, it results in the recipient becoming “confused, intimidated and silenced by actions accepted as harmful, such as uncompromising influence, involuntary servitude, and infliction of emotional distress“; it leaves us “compliant” and ultimately brainwashed. Interestingly The Home Office already includes coercive control as an element of abuse, but only as it applies to domestic violence.

The fact the Government’s Department responsible for Law, recognises the damage of psychological coercion, is an irony not to be lost, as we continue to struggle against the gamut of detrimental Policies and daily rhetoric of  media coercion; nor should the paradox of the Government’s attempts to catch people allegedly falsely claiming benefits, whilst using falsified data to justify the expense.

Time For The Truth?

 

 

An Exercise in Social Control – The REAL Agenda behind Benefit Fraud Campaigns 3 –

This year to date, I’ve  written two articles questioning the REAL agenda behind the Benefit Fraud Campaigns, the first in January considered how Politicians use psychological coercion to control us, whilst the second in April, introduced the newly formed single fraud investigation service, (SFIS), “a cross Government strategy to reduce fraud and error” apparently costing £140 million. In April I questioned whether the SFIS would prove to be value for money, particularly as according to DWP figures Fraud and Error has cost the Nation approximately £1 Billion for the past Eight Years?

Well it seems my concerns were justifiable, the latest figures in the DWP official Report shows a significant rise in Fraud, although a minor decrease in Error:

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This situation is despite the DWP already having spent at least  £296,726, just on campaigns to reduce Fraud & Error; when the REAL costs to the DWP, the SFIS, Justice Department & the CPS are added, the amount of spending on reducing this £1Billion bill must be phenomenal.

Johnny Void in his excellent post on this latest shambles by IDS said “This is a huge embarrassment to Iain Duncan Smith who is currently squandering almost a billion pounds in an attempt to halve benefit over-payments by next year.  It is unsurprising that the DWP’s fraud and error strategy was this week given a red/amber rating (meaning it’s a fuck up) in the same Government report into major projects that revealed that Universal Credit has been ‘reset’.” 

So that’s One Billion Pounds spending to reduce a One Billion Pound loss – Where is there any logic in this???

However you wouldn’t have thought any of the above existed if you relied solely upon the official press release from the DWP with Lord Fraud, Freud, claiming “Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support fraud and error overpayments are at their lowest recorded levels.” Yes once again we have Politicians making statements that are untrue and based upon erroneously used statistics and ignore reality; the fact is Council Tax is no longer included in DWP figures with the responsibility going to Local Authorities, and this Tax is equivalent to claimed drop in Fraud and Error  “2% of overall welfare expenditure“! 

This persistent misrepresentation of information is how Politicians, and the media when it reports verbatim rather than investigates the Truth, is precisely how they use psychological coercion to manage our thinking; IDS, Freud and the rest have consistently –

• Rejected alternate information and separate opinions
• Devised Rules exist about permissible topics to discuss and
• Ensured Communication is highly controlled.

it is for these reasons  Debbie Sayers and I decided it was time to follow up on our successful petition of last year, this resulted in the Work & Pensions Committee calling IDS & Freud to answer for their Lies, and a report stating this social control through the misuse of statistics should cease. This time We are Demanding the Coalition ensures IDS, Freud and Co STOPS this blatant manipulation; we aim to show Parliament, the people will no longer tolerate this abuse, but you need to play your role – Sign the Petition, tell your friends and families, share it on social media, blog it, do whatever, because unless we all tell Politicians & the Media, WE Will NO longer be Controlled it Will Continue.

This slow erosion of independent thought eats away out our psyche, leaving us unable to see the Truth and falling into the very trap set for us by those in Power, this is Not a World I want to live in? 

Time For The Truth

To:
House Of Commons – Stop Ministers Spinning Statistics 
Dame Anne Begg MP, Chair W&P Select
Margaret Hodge MP, Chair of Public Admin

Enforce the Recommendations of W&P Select of Use of DWP Statistics and Ensures Minsters and others present statistics in a way that is fair, accurate and “unspun”.

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/house-of-commons-stop-ministers-spinning-statistics-accept-the-recommendations-of-select-committees-stop-ministers-spinning-dwp-statistics

 

 

The Tory Hypocrisy of IDS and Miller

I’m sure I’m not the only one to feel absolutely sickened by the Maria Miller saga, and I’m not going to go over rigmarole here; what I do want to consider is one element of the fallout, the hypocrisy of our old favourite Iain Duncan Smith!

Today the BBC reports on IDS telling Andrew Marr that Parliament should do whatever it takes” to stop rows over their expenses “eating away at the credibility of Parliament“; how dare Mr Smith who has stood before his peers and repeatedly lied, preach on eroding the ‘credibility of parliament’?

This is particularly ignoble coming on the same day as IDS announces the people found to be claiming benefits they are not entitled to will face “higher fines and losing their homes“; now I’m not suggesting in any way it is OK to cheat but…how is this different to a MP making false claims?

Currently Ms Miller is not only being allowed to keep the vast majority of money gained from her ‘mistake’, IDS champions her, claiming the media interest to be a ‘witch hunt‘; and yet under his new campaign IDS blame benefit claimants for an increase last year from £3.3 billion to £3.5 in money “lost to fraud and payments made in error“.

Given the extensive range of problems with the whole range of changes made under Welfare Reform from the record number of sanctions to ATOS ‘quitting‘ and DWP staff needing to help Capita catch up on outstanding claims for PIP;  I propose it is not unreasonable to surmise that much of this increase is down to payments being made in error? Obviously this is something IDS disagrees with, instead he is happy to decree that any and all such increases, are a result of home owners making fraudulent claims for welfare.

It is the sheer Hypocrisy of this situation I find totally untenable, IDS, Cameron and Co evidently refuse to believe a Tory Politician would lie or cheat; well in case they need a reminder I suggest they ask Lord Hannigfield, Lord Taylor. Jonathan Aitken or Jeffrey Archer if they’re correct!

 

 

 

The REAL Agenda behind Benefit Fraud Campaigns – With Spending -UPDATE

In my original post on the topic I argued that given the DWP admit “It is only a small minority who commit fraud“ Freud 03/01/2014; so surely these campaigns, which given the fairly constant level of estimated fraud don’t work, seem to be a case of overkill? That is unless you take a slightly more cynical view of the whole situation – If the Government was truly concerned with fraud,  wouldn’t a different, more efficiently way of managing it, have been designed by now; and, wouldn’t we have actual statistics, rather than than over 8 years of  ’around £1 billion’  estimates??

I also discussed how much the DWP had spent on these campaigns over the past 3+ years, and how much the budget for this latest reinvention is; I’ve now received a reply to my FOI request :

Expenditure for campaigns                                       Year Campaign Total amount

2010/11 Targeting Benefit Thieves                                                     £26,118
2011/12 Targeting Benefit Thieves                                                     £82, 605
2012/13 none                                                                                      Nil
2013/14 Benefits. Are you doing the right thing?                                £188,003  (forecast only)

So from the FOI we presume in the past 3 years the coalition have spent £296,726?

Well No! The February edition of Touchbase the DWP Newsletter for ‘advisers, intermediaries and other professionals’ has this announcement “The Government has announced the launch of a single fraud investigation service (SFIS), to tackle all welfare benefit fraud…  investing an extra £140 million to deliver savings of over £2.3 billion by cutting the amount of money that is loss through fraud, error and debt”.

This is on top of the current forecast of £188,003, as the DWP was expressly clear this amount was for the “Are you doing the right thing” campaign only! Which, in REAL terms means an extra £140,000 over 18 months (Oct 16 -Mar 16)

This is a huge amount of money from a Government who persistently tell us, we as a nation are broke; so remember when you read in the press or the  internet, hear on the radio or watch on TV how this is to SAVE £1 billion ‘lost’ in the past year because other people are ‘cheating’ Stop & Think –  might this the is the same £1 billion that’s been lost for the past 8 years or more??

CHECK OUT the latest Data from ilegal.org  ‘Fit for work or fit to drop’, Over quarter of a million deaths relating to sickness benefit claims?

The REAL Agenda behind Benefit Fraud Campaigns?

Today January 3 2014 is the official start of the latest Divide & Rule Strategy from the boys at DWP; Freud is the spokesman of this new ‘softer’ approach to the proven futile Benefit Fraud Campaign.

So how is the latest ‘reinvention going to differ – there are 6 pilot areas with “posters, newspaper adverts, Facebook adverts and letters to claimants – urging people to report suspected benefit fraud or changes to their circumstances”; it seems at a quick glance this campaign is aimed at ensuring claimants understand what they need to report to DWP and when – not much wrong with that then? Until you look at the second example which is the same old rhetoric – report anyone you don’t like/is on benefits/you don’t ‘believe is disabled etc to DWP and all for FREE – yes one of the few 0800 Numbers the DWP still has is… to enable any vigilante wannabe!!

Before anyone decides I’m arguing we live in a perfect world where nobody ever tries to cheat I ask you to investigate the ‘Facts‘ (as we have them) around this –

• 0.7%, or £1.2 billion, of total benefit expenditure is overpaid due to fraud
• 0.9%, or £1.6 billion, of total benefit expenditure is overpaid due to claimant error
• 0.4%, or £0.7 billion, of total benefit expenditure is overpaid due to official error

Interestingly these are ALL ‘estimates’ for 2012/14, it also must be noted these ‘estimates’ have remained relatively static since 2005!

Even the DWP admit “It is only a small minority who commit fraud” Freud 03/01/2014; so surely these campaigns, which given the fairly constant level of estimated fraud don’t work, seem to be a case of overkill? That is unless you take a slightly more cynical view of the whole situation – If the Government was truly concerned with fraud,  wouldn’t a different, more efficiently way of managing it, have been designed by now; and, wouldn’t we have actual statistics, rather than than over 8 years of  ‘around £1 billion’  estimates??

Isn’t it just as likely that All governments consider the level of concern and worry ‘fraud’, and other associated anti-social, or even illegal behaviours people are often coerced into create amongst the public, a small price to pay from the overall national budget? The anxiety and anger such actions create, offers Politicians another ‘reason’ to continue utilising psychological coercion as a way to manage us, the people. While the Government can cause individuals to mistrust their neighbours. colleagues, friends, or even family, repeatedly using the same message year on year –  how so many others ‘cheating’ the system are the real reasons our Taxes, bills, mortgages are so high; surely they’ll continue to do so? It’s so much easier to continue manipulating the system to benefit those who have the most power, and therefore £; when the majority believe their personal resources are limited, because their peers are deceitful.

Given all of the above I couldn’t help but wonder how much the DWP had spent on these campaigns over the past 3+ years, and how much the budget for this latest reinvention is; to this end I posted a FOI request this morning – I’ll keep you posted. Until then, when you read in the press or the on internet, hear on the radio or watch on TV how around £1 billion has been ‘lost’ in the past year because other people are ‘cheating’; stop and think is this the is the same £1 billion that’s been lost for the past 8 years or more??