Benefits and tax: astounding graphic

[kevo]

With George Osborne seemingly determined to cut more benefits, thought I'd post this which is truly eye-opening if you don't know the statistics. According to the government's own figures, more is lost through benefit overpayment than benefit fraud - and they should actually be paying out a lot more because of the massive amount of unclaimed benefits.

What's more, according to some estimates, tax evasion (most of it corporate tax evasion) costs the country a HUNDRED times more than benefit fraud (25 times more, even according to the government's own conservative estimates). The DWP has over 3,000 people investigating benefit fraud, but HMRC just 300 people investigating tax evasion - why?

Of course benefit fraud is wrong, but focusing on this and on increasing austerity measures aimed at the poor, rather than getting a small chunk out of the massive amount owed by the corporate evaders is surely ridiculous on any level.

 

[Hamilton]

Now you've gone and done it!

 

[somerset]

They are focussing on all those things.....what is your point, you can't solve this all at once, small steps.

By the way, there are more people investigating benefit fraud because potentially there are 30 million fraudsters....that as opposed to 300 people investigating tax evasion from a much smaller pool of potential transgressors.

 

[Kumquat]

They are focussing on all those things.....what is your point, you can't solve this all at once, small steps.

By the way, there are more people investigating benefit fraud because potentially there are 30 million fraudsters....that as opposed to 300 people investigating tax evasion from a much smaller pool of potential transgressors.

Do you really think 30 million people in this country are claiming benefit fraudulently?

 

[WATFORD zero]

They are focussing on all those things.....what is your point, you can't solve this all at once, small steps.

By the way, there are more people investigating benefit fraud because potentially there are 30 million fraudsters....that as opposed to 300 people investigating tax evasion from a much smaller pool of potential transgressors.

You've certainly convinced me

 

[e77]

Can't they do both?

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Now you've gone and done it!

lol.

 

[Kumquat]

With George Osborne seemingly determined to cut more benefits, thought I'd post this which is truly eye-opening if you don't know the statistics. According to the government's own figures, more is lost through benefit overpayment than benefit fraud - and they should actually be paying out a lot more because of the massive amount of unclaimed benefits.

What's more, according to some estimates, tax evasion (most of it corporate tax evasion) costs the country a HUNDRED times more than benefit fraud (25 times more, even according to the government's own conservative estimates). The DWP has over 3,000 people investigating benefit fraud, but HMRC just 300 people investigating tax evasion - why?

Of course benefit fraud is wrong, but focusing on this and on increasing austerity measures aimed at the poor, rather than getting a small chunk out of the massive amount owed by the corporate evaders is surely ridiculous on any level.

I think i've mentioned this before, but the figures given there that separate fraud and error (in terms of overpayment) were deliberably merged by the Government a while back to cover up the fact that the majority is overpayment and mistakes by DWP/local authorities. The general public is mostly under the impression that it is all fraud. Like you say, benefit fraud is wrong but the vast majority of the budget deficit is not benefit fraud. The incessant public pronouncements on it is 1) To cover up the Government's inability to deal with tax evasion (there are complicated reasons for this) and their inability to deal with their own mistakes in overpaying (no excuses) and 2) the fact that it chimes well with the public to target "scroungers".

 

[GreersElbow]

The government serves the corporations and rich elite, not the people - this needs to change.

Best get a plane and fly over Britain distributing by air books on Juche, aye.

 

[somerset]

Do you really think 30 million people in this country are claiming benefit fraudulently?

Come back when you can read please...... POTENTIALLY...!!

 

[The Large One]

Do you really think 30 million people in this country are claiming benefit fraudulently?

He did say 'potentially'.

However, he's using the Daily Express trick of mentioning the more emotive 'potential 30 million' to suggest that, bearing in mind the number of fraudulent claims that could be anywhere between 0% and 100%, the 'potential 30 million' is what the truly gullible will latch on to, and get outraged about, rather than considering what the truth might be.

Aside from that, a 'potential 30 million fraudsters' is a meaningless statement.

It's like saying that, when considering crowd behaviour, there were a potential 20,000 hooligans at the Brighton v Reading FA Cup tie.

 

[somerset]

You've certainly convinced me

Impossible,..... I used words of more than one syllable.....

 

[KZNSeagull]

The government serves the corporations and rich elite, not the people - this needs to change.

Are the rich elite not people then?

 

[itszamora]

How dare you bring facts into the argument, that's the last thing our Tory overlords want!

 

[Kumquat]

Come back when you can read please...... POTENTIALLY...!!

Yes, I saw the word potentially.Let me rephrase then. "Do you really think that potentially 30 million people in this country are claiming benefit fraudulently?" You don't need to be able to read to know that that is bollocks. Not just potentially bollocks either.

 

[somerset]

It's like saying that, when considering crowd behaviour, there were a potential 20,000 hooligans at the Brighton v Reading FA Cup tie.

...and that would be exactly right, until all 20k turn up and the police get a view of the attendees, and the mood of the attendees, who knows what could happen.

 

[The Large One]

...and that would be exactly right, until all 20k turn up and the police get a view of the attendees, and the mood of the attendees, who knows what could happen.

You have a nasty, unpleasant outlook on life, don't you?

 

[bhadebenhams]

All men are potential RAPEISTS, off with there TODGAS

 

[Triggaaar]

I find it interesting that the areas in the chart have been completely misrepresented. Comparing the area of the light blue circle (£16 billion) to the red circle, the red circle is twice as large as it should be. Idiots.

 

[Triggaaar]

The government serves the corporations and rich elite, not the people - this needs to change.

Our governments have been letting big companies get away without paying their share of tax for decades, and that needs to change. It's not like they were all paying their way before the last government change.