Folks making use of for state advantages are having their claims checked by civil servants working from dwelling as fraud rockets to virtually £9billion per 12 months.
Critics final night time urged welfare chiefs to halt distant working amid fears it’s vast open to abuse by fraudsters.
Civil servants are being paid as much as £32 an hour to dole out advantages remotely with out the necessity for claimants to go to an workplace and have a face-to-face interview.
The working from dwelling roles embrace accountability for handing out some £216 billion in advantages claims for unemployment, incapacity and housing help.
Ministers had been lately blasted by a committee of MPs after bungling workers within the Division of Work and Pensions misplaced a report £8.6billion of taxpayers’ cash to fraud and error final 12 months – virtually double what was misplaced the 12 months earlier than the pandemic.
Civil servants are being paid as much as £32 an hour to dole out advantages remotely with out the necessity for claimants to go to an workplace. Pictured: Whitehall
Tory MP Sir Desmond Swayne, who sits on the Commons Work and Pensions Committee, mentioned: ‘These dwelling working preparations sound absurd when profit fraud runs to billions of kilos. Head to head encounters needs to be normal.’
One function primarily based in Sheffield is promoting for a advantages assessor on as much as £32 an hour. The job advert mentioned profitable candidates can be tasked with ‘processing purposes for housing advantages help’ and may ‘be primarily based anyplace within the UK (simply) so long as they’ve a superb web connection.’
A second function marketed by authorities contractor Civica is marketed as ‘home-based’ with a ‘aggressive wage.’ Candidates are instructed they won’t must attend an workplace and meet claimants in particular person to debate their claims.
The job advert mentioned: ‘Wish to handle your work-life stability? Fed up of the commute? Would you like your voice heard? Do you wish to take management of your working life?’
One other function for a ‘Monetary Evaluation Officer’ working from dwelling guarantees profitable candidates ‘much less commuting, (and) extra time along with your family and friends.’
Distant working took off throughout the Covid pandemic. Ministers have demanded to see extra workers in workplaces however 1000’s of civil servants, backed by unions, have stubbornly refused to return to full-time workplace working.
James Roberts, managing director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, mentioned: ‘Taxpayers have to know they’re getting worth for cash from welfare employees. Given the dimensions of the bumper advantages invoice, workers that wish to work-from-home ought to count on financial savings to be made on their pay and premises.’
However a spokesman for the Native Authorities Affiliation, which represents greater than 350 councils throughout England and Wales, mentioned: ‘Versatile working helps councils recruit the workers they want and is finally good for retention, good for morale and offers individuals the power to have extra stability, which is nice from a well being and wellbeing perspective.
‘So long as councils can stability that with the wants of residents and companies, then it’s a win-win scenario for everyone.’
