Samples of certain claims will be checked for fraud and error during the current financial year. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) pays State Pension and welfare benefits to around 22.7 million people across Great Britain.
New figures published in the 2024 Fraud and Error in the Benefit System report , show that the total number of benefit overpayments over the last year was £9.7 billion (3.7%), an increase on the £8.
3bn figure for 2023. Similarly, the total rate of benefit underpayments last year was £1.1bn (0.
4%), down from £1.2bn (0.5%) in 2023.
The DWP said it is “vital that the Government continues to robustly tackle fraud to ensure support goes to those who need it most” adding that it is taking “further steps to minimise errors, ensuring the right people are paid the right amount at the right time”. The DWP confirmed in the report that during the current financial year it will measure a sample of claims from five specific benefits and the State Pension as part of its fraud and error exercise for 2024. The DWP will be measuring sample claims of the following benefits for fraud and error: DWP explains that a sample of benefit claims is randomly selected from its administrative systems (around 13,300 were sampled for FYE 2024, or 0.
06% of all benefit claims). DWP’s Performance Measurement team then looks at the data held on the administrative systems and contacts claimants to arrange a review. Claimants are asked to provide evidence such as tenancy .