Newcastle Journal: £216m bill on way

FAMILIES and banks could be hit with a £216m bill from the child benefit records debacle - even if fears over massive identity fraud are not realised.

The TaxPayers Alliance's figure was calculated on administrative costs and credit checks from up to 7.2 million people changing their bank accounts, and altering Pin numbers and passwords. Shadow Commons leader Theresa May said: "The Northern Rock fiasco and the HMRC scandal tell us everything we need to know about the Government - incompetent, insincere and in deep trouble."