1 thought on “Bishop of Manchester says let benefit cheats off – BBC”
I agree with everything the bishop said as reported in the body of the article. The headline however perhaps gives a misleading impression. There is a clear distinction between benefit fraud and the matters dealt with by sanctions. benefit fraud is such actions as not declaring income or investments or misrepresenting your health. These are quite properly prosecuted. The penalties seem at times harsh considering the amounts involved compared with some “white collar” crime. Sanctions are imposed for not keeping fully to your job seekers agreement. Here the penalties are totally disproportionate to the offense and I agree with the bishop’s comments.
I agree with everything the bishop said as reported in the body of the article. The headline however perhaps gives a misleading impression. There is a clear distinction between benefit fraud and the matters dealt with by sanctions. benefit fraud is such actions as not declaring income or investments or misrepresenting your health. These are quite properly prosecuted. The penalties seem at times harsh considering the amounts involved compared with some “white collar” crime. Sanctions are imposed for not keeping fully to your job seekers agreement. Here the penalties are totally disproportionate to the offense and I agree with the bishop’s comments.
Dave