Rights groups are fighting back against Labour Party PM Keir Starmer’s decision to resurrect old Tory plans to make disabled people’s lives harder. It concerns rules around how the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) can monitor benefit claimants’ bank accounts.
The DWP: access to claimants’ bank accounts
It was revealed last week during his maiden PM speech at the Labour Party conference that Starmer was planning to bring in legislation that will give DWP benefits inspectors more powers to snoop on benefits claimants’ accounts.
The previous plan would have allowed the DWP to force banks to hand over benefits claimants’ bank transaction information, which they would then scrutinise. They claimed this was to root out fraud, but when there’s already so much hatred against those on benefits it would’ve undoubtedly led to innocent vulnerable people losing benefits because the DWP doesn’t think they should have nice things.
The former government’s plan, though it passed in the commons, was eventually thrown out in the “wash up” period before the election. Though this was partly down to how much pushback there was from rights and security organisations.
Big Brother Watch co-ordinated a petition which had over 170,000 signatures telling the government their plans to spy on bank accounts were wrong.
Now that Starmer’s singing from the same hymn sheet as the Tories on disability rights, Big Brother Watch has also restarted the fight against the plans.
Big Brother Watch fighting back
The organisation says that as well as hitting the most vulnerable in society with these plans under the guise of DWP fraud, it would allow the government to spy on ALL our bank accounts.
The organisation has brought back its petition to Stop the Government from spying on all of our bank accounts which currently has almost 180,000 signatures.
Big Brother Watch says on its website of the DWP plans:
Given the Conservatives already backed these powers and Labour have a huge majority, this is going to be a major battle. But, if we show hundreds of thousands of us will not accept bank spying, we could make headlines and force the Labour government to U-turn.
Alongside the relaunch of the petition, Big Brother Watch – along with 17 other organisations including Disability Rights UK, Age UK, and Privacy International – sent a letter to the new Secretary of State for the DWP, Liz Kendall. The Guardian reports that the letter says:
Imposing suspicionless algorithmic surveillance on the entire public has the makings of a Horizon-style scandal – with vulnerable people most likely to bear the brunt when these systems go wrong.
Pensioners, disabled people, and carers shouldn’t have to live in fear of the government prying into their finances.
As well as signing the petition Big Brother Watch is also encouraging people to email their MP to ask them to object to the DWP plans. The group has included a template response.
As the government continues to stir up the hatred of disabled people that the Tories brewed up, its plans to control our lives cannot be allowed to continue.
Please sign the petition and email your MP.
Featured image via the Canary
