A Government Web site set up to catch benefit cheats has had little
impact on tackling the problem, according to David Willetts,
Conservative shadow secretary of state for work and pensions.
Figures obtained by Willetts show that despite receiving nearly 1.7
million hits, the Targeting Fraud Web site resulted in only four
prosecutions.
He said, "The new figures are devastating - they show very clearly
that the Government's over-spun initiatives have had no real effect
on the level of benefit fraud."
The Targeting Fraud Web site was launched by the then Department of
Social Security in May 2000 as a confidential means of reporting
benefit fraud over the Internet. However, Willetts' research
suggests that, out of just under 12,000 suspected cases reported to
the Web site, less than 700 investigations were completed by the
authorities.
However, a spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions
stressed that there are many other elements to the Government's
campaign to tackle the cheats. He said, "The Web site is only one
part of our campaign against benefit fraud and it has been very
successful in raising awareness. Anyone who wants to tip us off
about suspected benefit fraud can also call our National Benefit
Fraud Hotline."
The Government has already cut fraud and error in income support
and jobseeker's allowance by 18% over the past three years, the
official added.
Take-up of government Internet services by the public has come
under increasing scrutiny over recent weeks. Last week, a report
from the Commons Public Accounts Committee urged the Inland Revenue
to improve the reliability and security of its e-services and offer
greater incentives to users if take-up is to increase.
MPs warned that although the Inland Revenue plans to have all its
services available electronically by 2005, it is unlikely to
achieve its target of 50% take-up.