Good to see the Govenment is learning the lessons of how to keep data secure

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/...s-for-home-office-memory-stick--200808221194/

 

Well, to be fair...

"PA Consulting". Who are they? What are they letting noddy firms do that kind of job for?

 

Get ready for the prisoners to try getting some cash out of it!

 

Another 'nobody firm' ****-up

Subject: private sector firm sacked from new deal contract for info(from daily mirror 18th August)


New Deal firm fired over £1m disabled workers swindle
Exclusive by Stephen Moyes 18/08/2008

A firm has been dumped from helping job hunters amid a probe of a £1.1million taxpayers' cash swindle.

Maatwerk was to be paid hefty bonuses for getting disabled applicants into work under the Government's New Deal.

But up to six rogue staff made 7,000 jobseekers sign fake papers saying Maatwerk found them jobs, then got payouts of up to £3,000 a time.

Whitehall auditors later raided its offices and seized 63 files with "irregularities". The Government has now axed Maatwerk from the New Deal. Police are probing and set to make arrests. Three employees are prime suspects and have been sacked.

The scam ran for around three years and targeted people on disability and sickness benefits.

Crooked employees at the Dutch firm's Manchester offices are said to have targeted those who had just found employment without Maatwerk's assistance.

Each was paid £150 to sign bogus forms but are thought not to have known they were helping to cheat taxpayers. One Maatwerk insider said: "They're often financially challenged, so £150 for signing a paper was an easy option. But suspicions were raised when some staff hardly left the office, yet claimed for large numbers of jobseekers."

The Department of Work and Pensions has handed its report to police. A spokesman said: "We take allegations of impropriety by our suppliers seriously."

Police said they would consult prosecutors over possible charges. Maatwerk was bought by US ResCare shortly after the probe began last year.

ResCare's Jesica Lindgren said yesterday: "We inherited some unfortunate allegations and have since worked to bring the operations up to ResCare standards."

 

In addition to this...Privatisation eh...

at least 3 other private firms/companies that have been brought in to do this type of of work within the DWP have gone out of business.
But of course these stories are conveniently kept out of the public eye,or at least attempted to.