The recent MPs expenses scandal has shocked the public. Mostly due to the scale of the number of MPs who had overclaimed expenses and the few MPs who had blantantly claimed for profit.
Six MPs are currently being prosecuted and they are trying to use Parliamentry privilege to avoid prosecution. Prosecuted benefit claimants don't have any privileges.
Statistics show that the vast majority of benefit claimants are honest. The few who do cheat the system often do so because they can't make ends meet. Yet there is no sympathy, the DWP poster above shows the official disgust for any cheating of the system.
The last Government talked tough on benefit cheats, with their "one strike and your out" policy. Yet Peter Mandleson, the Minister for Business in that Government, had previously had to resign twice over scandals. So the "one strike and your out" policy, clearly didn't apply to politicians.
When David Laws MP (pictured above) was recently exposed as breaking the rules on expenses, claiming £40,000 on rent, he received much sympathy from fellow politicians.
Ian Duncan Smith, Secretary for the Department of Work and Pensions, who presides over benefit claimants, was "deeply sorry" for Laws departure and that he was "a thoroughly decent person".
David Laws lied because he wished to hide his sexuality from his family. As a millionaire, he certainly didn't need the money, so there is every reason to believe Laws made a huge mistake rather than set out to cheat the system. Ian Duncan Smith's statement that Laws is "thoroughly decent" suggests, at least as far as politicians are concerned, so long as the reason for lying is understandable, dishonesty can be justified.
Will Ian Duncan Smith apply the same logic to benefit claimants? If a person lies when claiming benefits because that is the only way to feed and clothe their children, then their dishonesty is also surely justified? Feeding and clothing children is of the greatest importance. I wonder if Ian Duncan Smith will be as sympathetic to dishonest benefit claimants? I doubt it.
Dishonesty exists amongst people throughout the class spectrum.
All rules need to be universally applied.