Benefit cheats could be stripped of driving licenses.
Benefit cheats could be stripped of driving licenses. Convicted benefits cheats who fail to pay back the taxpayer could be stripped of their driving licenses under government plans to crack down on fraud. Those who repeatedly cheat the system and have debts of £1,000 or more could be punished with a driving ban of up to 2 years. Frauders can already be jailed in the most serious cases. Work and Pensions Minister Allison McGaven said it would provide an additional tool in the box to chase repayments. The plans also include new powers to force banks to hand over account information about benefit claimants to help target investigations, echoing a scheme announced by the previous Conservative government. This is likely to face strong opposition from the banks and privacy campaigners. Providing false information to obtain benefits can see fraudsters hit by fines, while serious cases of conspiracy to defraud can attract prison sentences of up to 10 years under current laws. Pressed on w...