Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee

Tackling fraud and error in benefit expenditure 2024-25

Status: Open Opened: 10 Jul 2025 14 recommendations 16 conclusions 1 report

In 2023-24, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) spent £268.5bn on benefit and pension payments. That same year, the National Audit Office (NAO) reported that benefit overpayments by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) were at £9.7bn, their highest ever level in cash terms, with the majority of overpayments accounted for by Universal …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
66th Report - Tackling fraud and error in benefit expenditu… HC 1231 11 Feb 2026 30 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

1 item
6 Recommendation 66th Report - Tackling fraud and error … Accepted in Part

Evaluate impact of communications on reporting changes and update on fraud reporting feedback

Claimants not reporting changes in their circumstances remains a key cause of people not receiving the full amount of benefit they are entitled to. Unfulfilled eligibility occurs where a claimant fails to provide accurate information or evidence to the Department about their circumstances and as a result does not receive …

Government response. The government agrees to evaluate its communications campaign to encourage reporting changes of circumstances and publish the results. However, it rejects providing updates on individual fraud referrals due to data protection, but commits to publicising its counter fraud activities more …
HM Treasury

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
4 Dec 2025 Neil Couling CBE · Department of Work and Pensions, Sir Peter Schofield KCB · Department for Work and Pensions, Vikki Knight · Department of Work and Pensions View ↗

Correspondence

6 letters
DateDirectionTitle
21 May 2026 To cttee Letter from the Chair to the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Work and …
12 Mar 2026 To cttee Letter from the Director General Public Spending at HM Treasury relating to the…
2 Feb 2026 To cttee Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions rel…
8 Jan 2026 To cttee Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions rel…
8 Jan 2026 To cttee Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions rel…
4 Dec 2025 To cttee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Work and Pensions rela…