Recommendation 18

The Department also informed us that as of July, after redeploying staff back into measurement activities, it has been measuring fraud and error on Universal Credit and it is also undertaking measurement work on other benefits such as Pension Credit and Employment Support Allowance. It told us that “it is vital that we do our absolute best” to have an overall estimate of fraud and error in its Annual Report for 2020–21, where it also ‘aims’ to report the fraud and error cost of its easements to controls; the Department 29 Q 20 30 Letter from DWP to Committee dated 22 September 2020, page 6; StatXplore (Department for Work & Pensions), People on Universal Credit, https://statxplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/tableView/tableView .xhtml (accessed 15/10/20) 31 DWP ARAC 2019–20, page 238 32 DWP ARAC 2019–20, page 194 33 Q 37 34 DWP ARAC 2019–20, page 76 35 Qq 37, 45 36 DWP ARAC 2019–20, page 185 192 37 Q 28 Department for Work and Pensions Accounts 2019–20 13 said it will look at how much detail it can go into with regards to attributing the fraud and error impact of its control easements.38 Pursuing a cost-effective control environment