Fraud levels across all benefits were 3%, which the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said was "unacceptable".
How does that compare with PPE fraud rates ... or do we not count the billions squandered on middle men companies with no history of delivering the service as fraud?
The DWP statistics show one in four claims for universal credit was overpaid - either because of error or fraud.
Genuinely asking, how do you get overpaid because of fraud?
Would I be correct in thinking the actual method of fraud at play here is likely working a cash in hand job, whilst claiming?
Because most people I know assume 'benefit fraud' is living the high life on benefits, i.e. holidays, flat screen tvs, fancy phones, free childcare (for several children by several fathers of course), a free house they jumped the queue on, etc, etc.
Universal credit fraud was already rising before the pandemic started. But an unprecedented spike in applications at the beginning of lockdown in 2020 meant some benefit rules were relaxed to ensure that people were paid quickly. This in turn led to widespread fraud, including by organised crime groups.
Literally no examples of what the actual fraud is, but now we are throwing organized crime into the mix of an article about benefits.
Earlier this month, the DWP set itself a target of cutting £2bn in fraud over the next three years. Part of these plans include forcing banks to share more data with the department, for instance to check if a claimant's savings are too large to qualify for benefits.
Fair enough, an actual example. But I would have assumed, checking bank accounts would have been pretty standard if you mandate that there is a savings threshold anyway.
A system btw which I find slightly odd, as essentially they want you to burn through most of your funds (i.e. being financially prudent when times were good), and only claim assistence right at the end when things are desperate for you.
Final thought, they want 2Billion savings ... how much money is spent by the DWP/Capita in cases that go to appeal and get overturned because they are punishing those with disabilities illegally?
Last November, a group of MPs said that while they could understand why the DWP had chosen to relax the rules, "the amount of taxpayers' money being lost is simply unacceptable".
Compare these numbers to the billions in taxpayer money lost during the pandemic and they look like rookie numbers. Oh, that's right, my mistake, that money wasn't lost, it was deliberately funnelled into their mates pockets.
Can't have the plebs getting ideas though can we?