It will build on what is already being done by the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise, with the existing priority which these departments give to action to improve compliance being stepped up a gear. The Department of Social Security is also stepping up its activities against benefit fraud. The additional action will include increasing the number of visits to high risk groups of claimants from 650,000 this year to nearly 2 million next year. Other measures to be introduced include a nationwide extension of the successful pilot wheelclamping scheme, to tackle vehicle excise duty evasion, and improved controls to combat legal aid fraud and abuse. Notes for Editors 1.
All departments have programmes in place to combat fraud, as a normal activity.
A key aspect of the work of the Revenue departments is tackling tax evasion. Nonetheless, the Government keeps under continual review whether more can and should be done. In 1994 and 1995, specific programmes were established to combat social security fraud. These earlier programmes will cost 680 million Pounds over the next three years and are expected to save nearly 4.7 billion Pounds in the period. Details of the further measures included this year in departments' plans are summarised in the attached table, together with the costs and expected savings over the next three years.