Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 15
66th Report - Tackling fraud and error in benefit expenditure 2024-25
Published 11 Feb 2026
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Tackling fraud and error in benefit expenditure 2024-25 All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The Department did not make clear how it planned to use the remainder of the available funding, which amounts to over £2 billion. It indicated that it expected to spend some money implementing the new powers it has acquired through the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 but did not say how much this would cost. The Department also told us that it planned to employ a ‘test and learn’ approach in tackling fraud and error, with an expectation that successful measures should deliver a return on investment in excess of 3:1.28 24 C&AG’s Report (overpayments), paras 12, 21 25 Q 8 26 C&AG’s Report (overpayments), paras 3.27, 3.28 27 Q 8; Letter from DWP to the Public Accounts Committee dated 1 December 2025 28 Q 8 11 Data sharing between government departments
From: Public Accounts Committee, 66th Report - Tackling fraud and error in benefit expenditure 2024-25 (HC 1231), 11 February 2026
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 7 April 2026 (deadline 11 April 2026).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government agrees with most of the Committee's recommendations, stating that several are already implemented, but disagrees with two: setting a more stretching overpayment ambition and updating people who report suspected fraud.
- On a more stretching overpayment ambition, the government disagrees; the department is working with the NAO to agree what constitutes a cost-effective control environment and is "not yet able to accept this recommendation" until then. It aims to reduce fraud and error to 2.8% by 2028-29.
- On spending the £3.5 billion of dedicated funding, the government agrees and says the recommendation is implemented. It states the department has committed to gross savings of £14.6 billion up to the end of 2030-31 from fraud, error and debt activity.
- On the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025, the government agrees. It states it is the department's intention to include "proportionate and appropriate reporting" on the powers in its Annual Report and Accounts as they are implemented.
- On carers affected by inaccurate guidance, the government agrees and says the department will write to the Public Accounts and Work and Pensions Committees every six months, with the first update in September 2026.