Post by nickd on Jun 17, 2012 8:06:34 GMT 1
Fraud & Error conference 2012
Someone will be watching you - and what's the betting the focus will be on benefit claimants more than anyone else?
Simultaneously with government's massive reform of the welfare state and against all the pre-election promises to do away with the big brother surveillance culture, huge measures are being introduced to 'eradicate' fraud. The agenda of a 'fraud & error' conference of snoopers who met in London in May this year reveals how they are almost entirely focussed on benefit & tax credit claimants. In October government plans to introduce 'fixed penalties' for what will be the most technical compliance breaches as claimants face confusion over a benefits system which looks sets to become chaotic as we get further into government's relentless welfare reform agenda. New 'zero tolerance' policies are set to ensure prosecution of benefit cheats which is - if you believe what the mass media tell you about the number of people 'on the fiddle' - likely to see more people ending up in court. Big brother will be out in force as armies of bounty hunting private investigation agencies get boggle - eyed staring at data 'matching' information bases aimed at catching claimants out. The problem is a lot of the data bases won't always hold the right information; but will that stop these agencies as they go in search of a commission for every 'payment by result' culprit they can name 'n' frame as they shop em with glee to the DWP?
It certainly looks as though big brother is going to be ready and waiting as we enter the new digital era. It is a potential recipe for disaster as the HMRC and employers are soon to be tasked with grappling with 'real time information' compilation of monthly records of employee's wages ready for the launch of the dreaded Universal Carnage (Universal Credit )which will almost certainly bring further misery to the lives of claimants next year. Imagine the chaos as erroneous wage details flag up a 'hit' on the investigator's ultra large wide screen 'catch all' computer monitor? Not only will government be struggling to place more public service employees into a not so rapidly growing numbers of private vacancies but they will have the added difficulty of placing large numbers of potentially criminalised job applicants whose job applications end up blemished with those inevitable words 'benefit fraud'. Sadly many individuals will probably end up pleading guilty to what are essentially 'innocent mistakes' as official prosecutors rely on the small print contained within benefit claims. New benefit rules are bound to widen the scope for error yet 'zero tolerance' policies are set to see more people caught out.
In addition to which we have the almost farcical situation where thousands of disabled people will have seemingly effected a miracle cure for their conditions after a compulsory attendance at an ATOS medical. No other firm seems to be able to eradicate even the most severe form of disability within around 15 minutes in the presence of a 'healthcare professional' with the net result being that claimant walks in one door as disabled and miraculously exits another as fully fit for work. One wonders if fraud investigators will end up probing the lives of those who've been through the ill - fated ATOS treadmill in an effort to show they've been cheating the system for several years beforehand. Sadly it matters not whether these claimants are genuinely disabled, the media have labelled them fit, their own doctors are ignored and their ability to appeal against unjust decisions is being increasingly lessened as rights to dispute and access to advice disappear. It's sink or swim time for the benefit claimant - regardless of the problems they face.
But what we should all ponder is how those dodgy ministers, MP's and tax avoidance villains will escape the close scrutiny of our investigator friends. Somehow when they say their mistake was an innocent one their word is all too readily accepted. One rule for the rich and one for the poor - as the book gets thrown at the less well to do in society; bear in mind there are around 30 million people in the UK claiming at least one state benefit - the potential for getting caught up in this is colossal.
Here's the day's agenda......
24th May 2012
The Agenda for the day.....
09:25 Morning Keynote: Eliminating public sector fraud
Reducing the £21bn cost fraud has upon public services
The Counter Fraud Taskforce: overseeing the eight pilot projects tackling fraud
The role of the Fraud, Error and Debt Taskforce
Working with the private sector to recover the costs of fraud and reducing the £7-8bn of uncollected debts owed to the public sector
Collaboration – Government working together to share intelligence and make better use of data analytics
Ensuring accuracy in the assessment of risk and the measurement and reporting of losses
Zero tolerance approach to fraud in order to instil an anti-fraud culture – the role of e-learning and behaviour change techniques
Analysis of spending through business intelligence – improving transparency and accountability
New government fraud alerts system - tackling fraud proactively and collaboratively
Sharing information through a central intelligence body – the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau
Developing the Intelligence Sharing Roadmap (ISR) - facilitating the sharing of information on known fraud and fraudsters across the public and private sectors
Lesley Hume, Director of the Fraud, Error and Debt Team in the Efficiency and Reform Group, Cabinet Office (Confirmed)
09:45 – Working collaboratively to take a zero tolerance approach to fraud and error
Developing a strategic approach to fighting fraudsters across the public sector
Prioritising prevention, measuring losses and assessing risk
Building an anti-fraud culture
Sharing Intelligence and tackling high risk areas
Taking opportunities and learning the lessons from experience
Mike Haley, Director of Public Sector, National Fraud Authority (Confirmed)
10.05 - The Universal Credit and the Single Fraud Investigation Service
Tackling the £5.2bn per year cost of Benefit and tax credit fraud and error
Recovering £320 million of benefits overpayments in the last financial year
Creating a single integrated fraud investigation service to tackle benefits and tax fraud across the public sector
Combining relevant resources across Local Authorities, HMRC and DWP from April 2013
Investigating Universal Credit Fraud and legacy benefit and Tax Credit offences
Secure document and record management
Implementing the Universal Credit and creating a secure identity assurance framework
Increasing the number of fraud investigators by around 200
Ensuring the best products from the public and private sector are used and distributed across the public sector
Establishing the Debt Controller role to improve debt recovery operations
Implementing varying levels of sanctions for fraud, including direct benefit loss
Gateway Interventions for error - prepayment checks on five types of Pension Credit claim
Recognising and reducing disability fraud
Creating a central hub for the gathering and analysis of data and the development of the integrated risk and Intelligence Service (IRIS)
John Oliver, Operational Excellence Director, Department for Work and Pensions (Confirmed)
10.20 Special Keynote Address: Social Housing and Tenancy Fraud
Targeting the 50,000 homes which may be unlawfully sublet to save up to £5 billion
Investing £19m for more housing investigation officers and tenancy audits
Data sharing to reduce fraud
Using modern technology to reduce costs and tackle fraud
Tackling abuse of the right-to-buy system for former council homes
Data matching with the electoral register to reduce single person discount fraud, which costs councils around £2 billion a year
Baroness Hanham CBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Confirmed)
10.40 CASE STUDY: Spend Recovery Audit at the Department for Transport
Detecting £0.5 million in overpayments to suppliers in just three months by DfT, the Driving Standards Agency and DVLA
Using analytics to identify overpayments to suppliers over the previous financial year
Working in partnership to undertake a ‘spend and recovery audit’ on group procure-to-pay systems
Auditing group procure-to-pay systems; detecting and recovering overpayments to suppliers
Matching data through spend recovery audits
Utilising ‘payment by results’ to identify and recover up to £8 million in debt
Clare Moriarty, Director General Corporate, Department for Transport (Confirmed)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
The afternoon agenda
Technology to Reduce Fraud and Error in Frontline Services
Data security – including secure web based solutions and encrypted and password protected data
Modern web based technologies for monitoring fraud
Data matching for Debt and Arrears Recovery
Reducing debt with 'time to pay' arrangements
Identifying fraud in the private and sharing information with those targeting the public/Working with the Big Lottery Fund
Ensuring excellent intelligence sharing between the National Fraud Investigation Bureau, HMRC, DWP, and other departments and local authorities
Best practice in secure record management
Supporting fraud investigation and disseminating intelligence alerts
The Audit Commission and the National Fraud Initiative moving forward
Real-time credit reference and other data checks
On-line verification techniques
Data matching with data held by other public and private sector organisations
Predictive/innovative analytics
Working with external auditors
The mobile regional taskforce – mobile working and surveillance to tackle fraud
Taking responsibility for the National Fraud Reporting Centre (NFRC) and National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB)
Using technology, such as geographic identification, to gain a better understanding of patterns of fraud
CHAIR:
David Smith, Deputy Commissioner and Director of Data Protection, Information Commissioners Office (Confirmed)
SPEAKERS:
Darren Shillington, NFI Manager, Audit Commission (Confirmed)
Geoff Jennings, Director, National Anti-Fraud Network (Confirmed)
Andy Hyatt, Group Leader - Corporate Investigation Group, Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (Confirmed)
DCI Waight, Economic Crime Directorate, City of London Police (Confirmed)
There's more...
Prevention and detection of internally generated fraud
Recognising the changing characteristics of those committing fraud
Data analytics for monitoring and intervention
Joining up the public sector – working together with UKBA to ensure all staff are visa legal
Ensuring staff are not illegally claiming benefits
Timesheet and payroll fraud, claims for non-existent employees and for equipment never purchased
NHS Protect – identifying and tackling crime across the health service
NHS Patient charges Fraud – The Fraud Alert Initiative
Prevention, detection and investigation of prescription fraud in the NHS
Ensuring proper vetting checks on permanent, temporary and agency staff
Understanding and measuring fraud risks through commissioned risk reviews
Creating and maintaining the right structures and culture to combat fraud
Recognising the quality and adequacy of recruitment processes and staff screening
Creating an anti-fraud culture
Ensure that those working to counter fraud have the training and accreditation they need
Prevention and detection through data analytics and data sharing
Fraud in Online Systems
CHAIR:
Beverley Young, Head of Operations, CIFAS (Confirmed)
SPEAKERS:
Beverley Young, Head of Operations, CIFAS (Confirmed)
Neil Green, Head of Internal Investigations, Department for Work and Pensions (Confirmed)
Dermid McCausland, Managing Director, NHS Protect (Confirmed)
And more.....
Tackling Debt Owed to Government
The National Audit Office - Identifying £25.3bn of overdue debt
Assessing the current arrangements for debt management and collection across central government
Improving debt management in the £1.3bn that is outstanding in fines, confiscation and compensation orders in the UK
Working with data analytic companies, credit reference agencies and with debt collection agencies to process data, trace debtors and collect debts
Reducing the £7-8bn of uncollected debts owed, including:
Tax debt
Unpaid fines
Repayments for overpaid fines and tax credits
Improving data sharing across departments
Negotiating a single commercial framework contract for debt collection agencies
Introducing new screening techniques for tax credit applications
Recovering ‘aged debt’
Working in partnership to recover £420m in unpaid court fines
The London Revenues Group
Ensuring best practice in tax collection and agency staff pay, provisions for bad debt, bailiff fees, use of collection agents, e-billing, and data sharing
Using text messaging to remind people to pay fines
CHAIR:
Debbie Gibbons, Chair, LAIOG (Confirmed)
SPEAKERS:
Mark Babington, Director of Fraud Practice, National Audit Office (Confirmed)
Gareth Hughes, Deputy Chief Executive, Marston Group (Confirmed)
Steve Wells, Head of Revenues, London Borough of Ealing (Confirmed)
Simon Clements, Head of the Welfare Rural and Health Division, Crown Prosecution Service (Confirmed)
www.fraudanderrorconference.co.uk/programme.php
It's certainly not an agenda where they are stuck for things to discuss!