66th Report - Tackling fraud and error in benefit expenditure 2024-25

The government agrees and states the recommendation is implemented, explaining that the department already reports on its plans and continuous improvement activities to address official error root causes and payment accuracy annually in its Annual Report and Accounts.

The government agrees, detailing that the £3.5 billion funding from 2026-27 will support 5,930 agents in Targeted Case Review, over 12,000 in Counter-Fraud, and investments in preventative measures and new legislation. Cost-effectiveness will be measured via OBR/Treasury scrutiny, business cases, and transparent public reporting.

The government agrees and states the recommendation is already implemented, citing longstanding and ongoing cross-government data sharing activities, including active collaboration with various departments and the assessment of Department for Education datasets to verify household composition.

The government accepts the recommendation and states it will include proportionate and appropriate reporting on the use and impact of powers from the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 in its Annual Reports and Accounts as they are implemented, building on existing reporting.

The government accepts the recommendation and commits to writing to both the Public Accounts and Work and Pensions Committees every six months with progress updates on identifying and resolving affected carer cases. They are also modernising Carer's Allowance earnings treatment and reassessing an estimated 26,000 cases.

The department has secured £3.5 billion of dedicated funding from 2026-27 and has committed to gross savings of £14.6 billion up to the end of 2030-31 from fraud, error and debt activity.

The department already reports information on payment accuracy, investigations and debt recovery in its Annual Reports and Accounts, and intends to include proportionate reporting on the powers in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 as they are implemented.

The government agrees to evaluate the impact of its communications campaign to encourage claimants to report changes of circumstances and publish the results by the end of 2026, using performance, behavioral, and attitudinal measures.

The department will assess the impact of the ‘Tell DWP’ communications campaign on claimant reporting behavior, evaluate locally targeted elements of the campaign, and publish findings from these evaluation activities by December 2026.

The government agrees to provide the Public Accounts and Work and Pensions Committees with six-monthly updates on its progress with identifying and resolving the cases of carers affected by its inaccurate guidance, beginning in September 2026.

The department will reassess affected cases and potentially reduce, cancel, or refund debts for an estimated 26,000 carers, with the first of rolling 6 monthly updates in September 2026 and will write to the Public Accounts and Work and Pensions Committees every six months with a progress update and include information in its Annual Report and Accounts.

The department reports on its plans to improve payment accuracy and address the root causes of fraud and error each year in the Annual Report and Accounts (ARA).

The Department has secured £3.5 billion of dedicated funding from 2026-27 and has committed to gross savings of £14.6 billion up to the end of 2030-31 from fraud, error and debt activity.

The Department has secured £3.5 billion of dedicated funding from 2026-27 and has committed to gross savings of £14.6 billion up to the end of 2030-31 from fraud, error and debt activity.

The department works closely with other departments on data sharing and assessing the value of different datasets.

The department works closely with other departments on data sharing and assessing the value of different datasets.

The department already reports in its Annual Reports and Accounts, information on payment accuracy, investigations and debt recovery.

The department already reports in its Annual Reports and Accounts, information on payment accuracy, investigations and debt recovery.

The department has accepted 38 of the 40 recommendations set out in the Sayce review, increased the weekly Carer’s Allowance (CA) earnings limit, changed some of its guidance, will be modernising the treatment of earnings in CA to help reduce the number of overpayments occurring in future and will write to both the Public Accounts and Work and Pensions Committees every six months with a progress update.