Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 28
28
We asked DWP how it balanced the need to protect taxpayers’ money with the speed...
Conclusion
We asked DWP how it balanced the need to protect taxpayers’ money with the speed and accessibility of support schemes. DWP told us that Universal Credit was a good example of balancing these needs as applications normally rely on people coming into the jobcentre for ID checks which was no longer possible. DWP told us it had to find other ways of verifying information which were “less satisfactory”, but over time was able to find new techniques, using data and remote methods. DWP explained that those early cases where payments were made without having satisfactory data were flagged for review and it now has a team of 1,400 people methodically going through those cases, one by one, to put them right.83 Consequences of fraud and error
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
1.3. Departments take a risk-based approach to fraud and error overall. This is in line with best practice and is advocated by the Government Counter Fraud Function (GCFF). The use of a risk based approach is supported by the Counter Fraud Functional Standard, the National Audit Office’s good practice guidance and the Orange Book.