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Friday 23 March 2012

Systemic Fraud at A4e

(Blog with Video)

Welfare-to-work firm A4e knew of widespread fraud and systemic failures by management to control it !

Respect For the Unemployed & Benefit Claimants demands on behalf of benefit claimants "Answers" from the British government !

Auditors found staff claiming for putting people into jobs which did not exist, jobs which did not qualify for payment and fabricating paperwork.

Who's fiddling the benefits system ?

An investigation into allegation of fraud against welfare to work company A4e has been launched by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Police were already investigating claims of irregularities at the company, which was paid £200m a year by the government for training the unemployed and getting them into long-term jobs.

As part of its work, A4e handles millions of pounds worth of government contracts for welfare-to-work schemes.

The DWP said it had "immediately commenced" an independent audit of its commercial relationships with A4e.

"The Work and Pensions Select Committee was made aware of this audit at the time and the department later received assurances from A4e that it had not uncovered any major issues."

"We have made it absolutely clear to A4e that we take this matter very seriously, and that if, at any point during the audit or thereafter, we find evidence of systemic fraud in DWP's contracts with A4e, we will not hesitate to immediately terminate our commercial relationship."

Margaret Hodge MP, chair of the public accounts committee, said :

"This appears to be devastating evidence of systemic fraud within A4e. Either A4e failed to act or to inform DWP, or they did inform DWP and the department failed to investigate properly.

"Whichever, it is completely unacceptable. Once again, I am urging the department to suspend all its contracts with A4e immediately."

Tuesday 20th March a fifth person was arrested in connection with the police investigation into allegations of fraud at A4e's Slough offices dating back to 2010.

Respect For the Unemployed & Benefit Claimants, demands that:

* A4e have its Contract terminated immediately ?

* A4e be forced to hand back - millions of pounds ?

* Emma Harrison be forced to hand back her title "Order of the British Empire - Commander British Empire CBE"

* Criminal proceedings & prison for those who sought to make money from the misery inflicted upon benefit claimants.

In 2002 Emma Harrison bought with monies from awarding herself big bonus from A4e - Thornbridge Hall a sixteen-bedroom country mansion in Derbyshire, Still to date ... she hires the hall out to A4e ! Mrs Harrison was made a CBE in 2010 under David Cameron prime minister-ship.
OUR blog posted on - 27 April 2010 - Finally A4e is exposed in the wider media !

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

‎UPDATE 2 APRIL 2012
The Home Office is lining up A4e for another major government contract, despite the jobs agency being at the centre of a fraud inquiry.

Ministers have made the firm – owned by David Cameron's fallen "family champion" Emma Harrison – the preferred bidder to take over the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) helpline to advise people of their rights in discrimination cases.

A4e has been "preferred" for the contract over Citizens Advice, Sitel, which ran the disability helpline for the EHRC before it was taken in-house, and Vertex, an international business processing company.

The privatisation of the helpline was sought by the Home Office and the Government Equalities Office. It employs 85 staff in Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow, and handles 50,000 calls and 15,000 emails every year. Staff are trained to provide detailed advice on discrimination issues covering disability, gender, race and sexuality, and advise on mediation services..