Britain is growing increasingly tolerant of fraud and theft, a trend that will cost the benefits system an extra £2 billion a year, the government has claimed.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said that Britain’s “growing propensity to commit fraud” — fuelled by a society increasingly tolerant of dishonesty — is making it harder to control the cost of claimants ripping off the benefits system.
Benefit fraud is likely to rise by 5 per cent a year because of a broader social trend that sees people increasingly willing to cheat and steal from businesses and government, the department said in its annual report which assesses the state of the benefits system.
Tolerance of tax evasion and benefit fraud by others has also risen,