The UK's tax authority, HMRC, is under fire after stopping the Child Benefit payments of thousands of families, including a woman whose benefits were cut off because she had booked an international flight she never actually took.
Privacy Laws Potentially Breached in Benefit Crackdown
This large-scale suspension of payments has prompted the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to formally contact HMRC, warning that the tax authority has likely breached privacy laws. The ICO stated that any data-sharing between public bodies must be necessary, proportionate, and lawful, with a specific emphasis on ensuring data is accurate before making decisions that impact benefit payments.
Eleonor Duhs, a barrister and privacy law expert, reinforced this, stating, "One of the main data protection principles is that personal data should be accurate. If you don’t know whether the data is accurate... then that really shows that there is a breach of data protection law."
'I'm Angry for Everybody': The Human Impact
The issue came to light through the experience of one affected mother. She had booked a flight from London to Oslo but never checked in or travelled. Despite this, HMRC used data suggesting she had emigrated to stop her Child Benefit.
"This is just so ludicrous," she said. "I’m angry for everybody who has to go through this ridiculous state of affairs just because it’s some sort of glitch in the government system... Why is it that we have to sort out their mess?"
She is one of 23,500 people who have had their Child Benefit stopped by HMRC in recent weeks as part of a government crackdown on benefit fraud.
Political Outcry and Calls for Accountability
The Liberal Democrats have condemned the situation. Steve Darling, the party's spokesperson for work and pensions, called what happened "unacceptable."
"After the carers allowance repayments scandal, this news raises fresh concerns that things are seriously wrong within our welfare system, with people paying the price through no fault of their own," Darling said. He demanded that ministers explain how the error occurred, support the affected families, and ensure such mistakes are not repeated.
In response to the allegations, a HMRC spokesperson denied any wrongdoing, stating, "We’ve not breached any data protection laws regarding our child benefit compliance activity. We adhere to the UK GDPR and other data protection legislation when processing Personal Data."
