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Fraud and Error in the Benefit System
16 May 2024
Type
Written Ministerial Statement
Department
Department for Work and Pensions
At a Glance
Issue Summary
The statement discusses the annual statistics for fraud and error in the UK benefit system for the financial year ending 2024.
Action Requested
The Government is updating its Fraud Plan, 'Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System: Going Further,' to take measures against fraud and ensure accurate payments. Changes have also been made to how claimant error underpayments are classified and reported.
Key Facts
- In 2023, fraud accounted for 37% of all crime against households.
- The overall rate of overpayments in the benefit system is now 3.7%, or £9.7bn.
- Overpayments due to fraud were 2.8% compared to 2.7% last year.
- Universal Credit overpayment rate was 12.4% for 2023-24, down from 12.7% in 2022-23.
- Total benefit expenditure underpaid in 2023-24 was 0.4%, or £1.1bn.
- The total unfulfilled eligibility rate in 2023-24 is 1.2%, or £3.1bn.
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