Fraud Investgation Team

The request was refused by Department for Work and Pensions.

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

Please, kindly provide information/clarification on the following:

1) Are DWP Benefit Decision Makers part of its Fraud Investigation Team?

2) Are the very persons (DWP Benefit Decision Makers) responsible for determining the outcome of a benefit application the ones who will initiate and carry out benefit fraud investigations or is referred to another process?

3)Has the DWP received any complaints about its Benefit Decision Makers or Fraud Investigation Officers (complaints about how benefit claims or investigation was handled)?

4) How many complaints in the last 3 years? How many complaints were investigated and found to be true? How were complaints were resolved with the complainant?

5) How many of these complaints led to disciplinary action against Benefit Decision Makers or Fraud Investigation Officers? Any dismissals of such officers as a result?

6) Have any Benefit Decision Makers or Fraud Investigation Officers been found to have engaged in misconduct or abuse of office in the last 3 years?

7) If yes, how many?

8) Is the DWP fully compliant with the Data Protection Act requirement of ensuring that employees accessing/processing personal data are 'reliable'.

9) If a Benefit Decision Maker or Fraud Investigation Officer is found to have engaged in 'misconduct in public office', or have abused their office in respect of benefit claims or investigations, what steps would the DWP take to ensure that such persons are no longer in
a position to access/process personal data of customers, and that to ensure that it is fully compliant with the Data Protection Act.

Yours faithfully,

Carla Winks.

DWP freedom-of-information-requests, Department for Work and Pensions

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Operations FOI Requests, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

 
Dear Ms Winks,
 
Please find attached the reply to your recent Freedom of Information
request reference number - 4607:
 
 
Thank you,
 
DWP Freedom of Information Team
 
 
 
 

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