Lie detectors to trap the benefits cheats

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Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton will today announce a trial of the technology in Harrow to catch people making illegal claims for housing and council tax benefit.

Voice-risk analysis (VRA) software, which is already used by the insurance industry, will be used to help wheedle out suspect cases at the start of a claim.

It analyses changes in a caller's voice frequency - said to be caused by shifts in emotions - giving an indication of the risk that the person is lying.

Changes are measured against the caller's "normal" voice which is recorded at the beginning of the call, ensuring that nervousness or shyness is not a trigger.

Mr Hutton said: "Our investigators are successfully using sophisticated 21st century techniques to stop criminals. This technology aims to tackle fraudsters while speeding up claims and improving customer service for the honest majority."

Callers will hear a message before they speak alerting them the technology is being used. If benefit staff assess the answers they get as suspicious, they can ask the caller for further evidence to support their claims. Final decisions will rest with staff.