National statistics

Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2018 to 2019 estimates

Estimates of fraud and error levels in the benefit system in Great Britain in the financial year 2018 to 2019.

From:
Department for Work and Pensions
Published
9 May 2019
Last updated
16 July 2019 — See all updates

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Documents

Fraud and error in the benefit system: 2018 to 2019 estimates

Ref: ISBN 978-1-78659-155-5

PDF, 963 KB, 14 pages

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Tables: Fraud and error in the benefit system, 2018 to 2019 estimates

ODS, 329 KB

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Background information: Fraud and error in the benefit system statistics

Ref: ISBN 978-1-78659-156-2

PDF, 948 KB, 32 pages

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Details

This report provides estimates of fraud and error levels in the benefit system in Great Britain for the financial year 2018 to 2019.

The main points from the report are:

  • 2.2% of total benefit expenditure was overpaid due to fraud and error
  • the estimated value of overpayments was £4.1 billion
  • the net government loss, after recoveries, was £3.0 billion, or 1.6% of benefit expenditure
  • 1.1% of total benefit expenditure (or £2.0 billion) was underpaid due to fraud and error

Send any comments or questions about the fraud and error estimates to: caxtonhouse.femaenquiries@dwp.gov.uk.

Interactive information and charts.

Use DWP’s online tool to explore the fraud and error statistics.

You can also access DWP’s fraud and error statistics using StatXplore.

Published 9 May 2019
Last updated 16 July 2019 + show all updates

  1. Published a revised version of the data tables, correcting the Element/Premiums total overpayment figure for Pension Credit in table 3 from £5 million to £15 million.

  2. Published a revised version of the release to correct the Jobseeker’s Allowance overpayments chart labels (see page 7 of the PDF). Revised data tables were also published - footnote 8 about Universal Credit has been corrected. .

  3. First published.

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