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Voice risk analysis technology moves a step closer to your local jobcentre

Anti-Fraud Minister, James Plaskitt has announced that there will be funding for a further 15 local authority pilot projects to the new Voice Risk Analysis (VRA) technology.

He made the announcement to fund additional pilots and to extend the existing ones after initial results from seven pilots across 14 local authorities.

Mr Plaskitt said:

“This positive and encouraging news from the pilots shows that this technology is helping to combat benefit fraud. It is also making it quicker and easier to review claims, especially for those people who are genuinely entitled to benefits."

“Overall, the huge majority of people who receive benefits are entitled to them. However, there is a minority who will still try to steal money from those people who are most vulnerable. We need to continue to do more to make sure that taxpayers’ money always goes to those who need it the most.”

What is voice risk analysis technology?

VRA technology spots changes in a caller’s voice enabling trained operators to decide whether a call is high or low risk and what further action to take.

The system was introduced by Harrow Council and other councils and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is looking to apply it in their offices.

The steps, as undertaken by Harrow, are as follows:

1. A customer is sent a letter, asking them to expect a phone call about his or her housing benefit or council tax benefit (HB/CTB). This call can be to check a claim or make a new claim.
2. At the beginning of the phone call the customer is asked a series of basic questions to establish the pitch of his or her voice. This enables the software to detect voice changes later on.
3. Then more detailed questioning begins. If responses are hesitant or repetitive HR (high risk) flashes on the questioner’s screen. If not LR (low risk appears).
4. If the customer is low risk he or she is fast tracked through any claims process. If the call is to check a claim no further action is taken.
5. IIf the customer is high risk the interview is abandoned and other methods are used to get the information (visits, claim form etc.).

The “success” of the system depends on three things – the software, the questions used and the expertise of the questioner. The questioner has the power to override HR messages (for example if someone is hard of hearing and hesitates or asks for questions to be repeated).

Customers can opt out of the call if they wish to do so.

Introduction of VRA in jobcentres

The DWP is in the early stages of evaluation of this system. The evaluation results will be available at the end of August 2008. The intention is that VRA will, at some point, be introduced into local jobcentres.

Concerns about VRA

There have been no studies of made of the the use of VRA by those with disabilities, in particular those who have mental health or learning disabilities and those whose illness causes the pitch of their voice to fluctuate.

It also appears that the DWP does not have any way of identifying those claimants who could innocently fall foul of this system.

Those in high risk will face a slower claims process, often through no fault of there own.

More information

• lie detector’ saves £50k per month in benefit fraud - harrow council
• more lie detectors to curb fraud - bbc website
• plaskitt announces success of new technology to combat benefit fraud - dwp press release

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