Two work ministers who implement welfare reforms that force banks to check the accounts of recipients of the benefits raised 'substantial concerns' when the measure was proposed by the conservatives in the government.
Sir Stephen Timms and Baroness Sherlock are opposed to Tory plans to give officials the authority to inspect the bank accounts of anyone who claims a social security benefit.
Both are both ministers from the Department for Work and Pensions, which this month has announced plans to take money directly from the accounts of benefit fraudsters as part of a welfare drop.
In 2023, SIR Stephen said that the data protection and digital information law of the conservatives' would represent 'surveillance where there is absolutely no suspicion, which is a substantial expansion of the powers of the state to penetrate'.
Sir Stephen Timms, who supports the implementation of welfare reforms that force banks to control accounts from recipients, raised 'substantial concerns' when the measure was proposed by the government conservatives
Baroness Sherlock also opposed Tory plans to give civil servants the authority to inspect the bank accounts of anyone who claims a social security benefit
He added: “I think we would all agree, whatever party we are, that the powers of the state should be limited to those who are absolutely necessary.”
Sir Stephen said tonight: 'My interventions in that debate pointed out how inappropriate it was to record the state pension that has no savings boundaries.
“Key privacy guarantees have also been added, so that the new bill is a good one.”
Baroness Sherlock was contacted for comment.
