The bit about "only means-tested benefits will be monitored at first" is the worrying bit.
Their and your figures refer to that initial use of the powers.
Agreed that might be about 14% initially, rising to 41% whenever the government feel ready to extrapolate the extent of the system.
Yet again we see that it's the bill that is flawed, not the intention. The government bring in wide ranging powers to deal with a particular problem, which are put to wider use to which they were never intended.
No doubt the government will add some kind of retrospective clause.
And how much will it cost to imprison 2,500 people? Assume average of a 5 year sentence
At £47,000
¹ per prisoner per year, (total 2500 * 47000 *5 years= £600,000,000) where are the
savings going:
Savings projected = £500,000,000 per year Let's assume only half of that is achieved.
Savings £250,000,000
Cost of prisoners £600,000,000 over 5 years
Cost of investigation £30,000,000
Net benefit about
- £400,000,000 and a heck of a lot more criminals
Not to mention the cost of building more prisons.
It's bonkers in principle and it's bonkers economically.
Was this one of Liz Trusses ideas?
¹Imprisoning elderly, disabled, people with children, single parents, etc will cost society an awful lot more than the average cost of a prisoner.
Not to mention the kids brought up without a parent, the working parent having to give up work etc.
Economically this has got to be another barmy Tory dog whistle idea that should never get off the ground.