Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Energy support schemes achieved lower fraud and error rates than pandemic-era programmes.
Conclusion
In designing the energy bills support schemes, the Department drew on lessons learned from support schemes during the pandemic, such as reducing opportunities for fraud by using information from energy suppliers to limit the need to apply for support and verify energy usage. It also worked with fraud experts in government, including the Public Sector Fraud Authority. Fraud and error levels in the energy support schemes were lower than for other schemes implemented during the pandemic.12 The Department estimated a fraud and error rate of 0.7% of scheme payments, worth £291.8 million.13 This is compared to 11% for Bounce Back Loans and an estimate by the Public Sector Fraud Authority of government fraud and error levels ranging from 0.5% to 5%.14 5 C&AG’s Report, para 1.6 6 C&AG’s Report, para 10 7 Qq 16, 18 8 C&AG’s Report, para 1.3 9 Q 9 10 C&AG’s Report, para 9 11 C&AG’s Report, para 17 12 Q 34 13 C&AG’s Report, para 10 14 C&AG’s Report, para 10 8