Letter: Snoop lines: not as effective as they say
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Your report "A nation of snoopers" (29 December) claims that "among the most successful snoopers' phonelines is the one for benefit fraud, launched in the summer by Peter Lilley, Secretary of State for Social Security". Recently reported figures from the Department of Social Security (DSS) confirm that around 98 per cent of the "400,000" callers were unable to provide any evidence of fraud, and anyway, both the DSS and Benefits Agency barely have the resources to follow up the remainder.
Alarmingly, our Government has neither conducted research nor provided evidence to back its assertion that "pounds 3bn" in welfare is claimed "illegally" each year and few "opposition" politicians or "civil liberties" figureheads seem willing or able to question the accuracy, let alone motivation, of spurious claims such as this.
Snooper lines indicate a brutally decadent government desperate to deflect criticism from its own deceits. Look at the example of the recent job seekers' allowance, which robs people of their national insurance contributions, spreads and tightens the thumbscrews of means-testing and which will lay off tens of thousands of dole workers. It gives rise to the need for covert "public co-operation" - to force remaining staff into carrying out the unpleasant task of policing the welfare system, instead of benefiting those hardest hit by years of social and economic, but unfortunately not political, failure by this Government.
Russell Cavanagh
Edinburgh
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments