In an interview with Big Brother, a single mother describes her distress after a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) officer examined her bank account statements during a routine review of her universal credit. Every transaction from the previous three months, including expenses for her daughter's birthday, was scrutinised, leaving her feeling "mortified" and "penalised." Although the review was not due to any suspicion of fraud, Berman felt pressured to share her financial details under the threat of payment cessation. Berman is concerned that increased DWP surveillance on bank accounts will lead others into similar situations. The Labour government's proposed Fraud, Error and Debt Bill (FED Bill) aims to tighten controls within the benefits system, potentially allowing the DWP direct access to individuals' financial information under specific fraud or error suspicion circumstances.
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