Overview
- Legislation would allow officials to request bank account information to check eligibility for Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance and Pension Credit, with ministers saying there will be no direct access to accounts.
- Debt recovery could include taking funds directly from bank accounts after at least three months of statements are reviewed and advance notice is given, with sums taken as a lump payment or in instalments.
- Drivers who still owe more than £1,000 after recovery efforts could be disqualified from driving under the enforcement measures reported.
- The DWP would be able to seek information from any relevant third party, including relatives connected to a case, alongside reported powers for entry, search and seizure and the ability to demand financial data without prior suspicion.
- Safeguards include an Independent Reviewer and reference to the IOPC remit, with limits intended to prevent hardship on deductions and provision for banks to charge an administration fee, as charities and an MP raise concerns and reporting points to expected savings approval of about £1.2bn.