Labour’s benefit fraud crackdown would allow officials to access bank accounts

Proposals will require financial institutions to share data that may help identify scammers

Labour has promised to crack down on benefit fraud by reintroducing snooper's charter" proposals mooted under the last government that would allow welfare officials to request information from claimants' bank accounts.

A fraud, error and debt bill will require banks and other financial institutions to share data that may help identify benefit fraud as part of a package of measures designed to catch fraudsters faster" and save 1.6bn over five years.