Benefit cheats will face increased jail terms Britain's most senior prosecutor has said. The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC warned it was time for a "tough stance" against the perpetrators of benefit and tax credit fraud as he set out new guidelines for the Crown Prosecution Service. Suspects can now be charged under the Fraud Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A financial threshold that prevented benefit fraud cases of less than £20,000 being sent to crown court would be abolished.
"It is a myth that 'getting one over on the system' is a victimless crime: the truth is we all pay the price," Starmer said.
SOYMB asks if this will also include MP's expenses too? Will it include those who deliberately evade tax? Will it include those who set up phoney charity trusts to avoid tax? Will it include the bank and financial industry officials who manipulate the market? It is never fraud when a bank does it, is it? They call it mis-selling rather than a scam and punish it by a non-criminal penalty. AsBob Dylan sings "Steal a little and they trow you in jail. Steal a lot and they make you king."
Tax avoided, evaded and uncollected:
£120 billion (tax justice and PCS estimate)
£30 billion (HMRC estimate)
Benefits unclaimed:
£16 billion (HMRC estimate)
Benefit overpayments due to error:
£1.4 billion (DWP estimate)
Benefit fraud:
£1.2 billion (DWP estimate)
Our political masters have made much political capital out of pointing the finger at those that they label cheats and scroungers. Obviously they see this as a way of gaining votes. The tactic is to get 'hard working' low-paid people blaming 'lazy benefits-rich scroungers'.
"It is a myth that 'getting one over on the system' is a victimless crime: the truth is we all pay the price," Starmer said.
SOYMB asks if this will also include MP's expenses too? Will it include those who deliberately evade tax? Will it include those who set up phoney charity trusts to avoid tax? Will it include the bank and financial industry officials who manipulate the market? It is never fraud when a bank does it, is it? They call it mis-selling rather than a scam and punish it by a non-criminal penalty. AsBob Dylan sings "Steal a little and they trow you in jail. Steal a lot and they make you king."
Tax avoided, evaded and uncollected:
£120 billion (tax justice and PCS estimate)
£30 billion (HMRC estimate)
Benefits unclaimed:
£16 billion (HMRC estimate)
Benefit overpayments due to error:
£1.4 billion (DWP estimate)
Benefit fraud:
£1.2 billion (DWP estimate)
Our political masters have made much political capital out of pointing the finger at those that they label cheats and scroungers. Obviously they see this as a way of gaining votes. The tactic is to get 'hard working' low-paid people blaming 'lazy benefits-rich scroungers'.
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