DWP threatens 'swift action' and 'will leave no stone unturned' in £1.6billion crackdown

The DWP has vowed to act quickly on benefit fraud with Sir Keir Starmer pledging to "leave no stone unturned" in a bid to rebuild public services and save £1.6 billion over the next five years

Labour's Sir Keir Starmer has come out with a strong stance against welfare and benefit fraud, pledging "swift action" will be taken by his government. In his pursuit to overhaul public services, Starmer pledged full scrutiny from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), determined to discover savings totalling £1.6 billion over the next five years.

The Labour leader is anticipated to emphasize his commitment to leave "no stone unturned" in his mission to "rebuild our public services" as he addresses the Labour party conference on Tuesday. It marks his inaugural speech at the conference as Prime Minister.

A feature of his speech is set to be the introduction of a new fraud, error and debt bill, aiming to modernise the DWP by enabling the recovery of funds lost to deceit while safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries from accumulating debt.

Starmer is forecast to articulate his plan saying: "We will get the welfare bill down, because we will tackle long-term sickness and get people back to work. We will make every penny work for you because we will root out waste and go after tax avoiders."

He asserts that under his administration there will be no prospect unexplored or innovation overlooked, with a clear statement that Tory austerity will not make a comeback. His vision is to restore public services while protecting the workforce, all underpinned by Labour values.

However, some have responded critically; for example, former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell remarked: "If you close your eyes and listen to the language being used, it's almost like George Osborne speaking again in 2010."

"When you hear politicians talk about tough choices or painful decisions, and then you hear some of the rhetoric around fraud and social security, literally that's a replica of a speech made by George Osborne in 2010. What I'm worried about is the first measure the government has actually introduced is an austerity measure of winter fuel allowance, which for many of my constituents will cause immense hardship."

He further expressed his disillusionment with the current direction of the Labour Party: "We were desperate to get rid of the Tories. I was so elated at the election of a Labour government, but I don't believe that actually what we're hearing this week is going to inspire people around the sort of objectives that we have as a party, of changing our society, ending austerity."