Department for Work and Pensions annual report and accounts 2019-20

As the Department takes on a set of unprecedented challenges arising from COVID-19 it is more important than ever that my qualification is not seen as business as usual and the Department responds in a cost-effective way to minimise risks of fraud and error. As a priority, the Department should: • set out its expectations for unwinding the changes made to the administration of benefits, introduced as part of the response to COVID-19, and its assessment of their impact on the overall level of fraud and error; and

Ref Page 185, paragraph 11, first bullet point

• clarify how it will measure fraud and error for 2020-21 and in the longer term, to both inform its fraud and error activities and support accountability to Parliament.

Ref Page 185, paragraph 11, second bullet point

As the immediate response to the pandemic passes, it should: • iteratively improve and measure the effectiveness of its controls so that it can reduce fraud and error and demonstrate that its controls are cost-effective;

Ref Page 185, paragraph 12, first bullet point

• establish a better mechanism for informing Parliament of the potential impact on fraud and error of future changes made to benefit policy and operations; and

Ref Page 185, paragraph 12, second bullet point

• set annual targets for the gross level of fraud and error by benefit so that it can show the progress of its initiatives to reduce fraud and error.

Ref Page 185, paragraph 12, third bullet point