Fraud and Error in the Benefit System (estimates)

Overpayments in the Benefits System

Summary

Amount overpaid: £3.4bn
Amount underpaid: £1.5bn

Fraud overpayment: £1.2bn (0.7%)
Claimant and Official Error overpayment: £2.2bn (1.3%)

Fraud and Error in the Benefit System (estimates) ~> .pdf

DWP Data Page

3 thoughts on “Fraud and Error in the Benefit System (estimates)

  1. Kath

    Not sure what point you’re making? From the same source:

    Latest estimates show £3.4bn of benefit was overpaid due to claimant error, fraud or official error in 2013/14. This is 2.1% of benefit expenditure. The rate has been between 2.0% and 2.2% since 2005/06 with no statistically significant changes.
    The loss to the department will be less than £3.4bn because overpayments can be recovered. DWP and local authorities recovered around £0.95bn in 2013/14.

    Underpayment doesn’t (because it can’t) include all the payments unclaimed by those entitled to them, whether through unawareness, despair in the face of the forms or older people and others not wanting to ask for ‘charity’.

    All of this pales into insignificance beside tax avoided or evaded.

    Again, what point are you making?

      1. Kath

        But why? Do you see benefit fraud as a serious problem? I am trying to provide some balance to the extract you chose, especially by showing that this proportion is unchanged for many years.

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