Accredited official statistics

Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year ending (FYE) 2026 estimates

Estimates of fraud and error levels in the benefit system in Great Britain for the financial year ending 2026.

• From: Department for Work and Pensions
• Published: 14 May 2026

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Documents

Fraud and error in the benefit system: Financial Year Ending (FYE) 2026 estimates

Ref: ISBN 978-1-78659-919-3

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Tables: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year ending (FYE) 2026 estimates (XLS)

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 476 KB

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Tables: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year ending (FYE) 2026 estimates (ODS)

ODS, 253 KB

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Background Information and Methodology Note: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year ending (FYE) 2026 estimates

Ref: ISBN 978-1-78659-920-9

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Details

This publication provides estimates of the levels of fraud and error in the benefit system in Great Britain, for the financial year ending (FYE) 2026. 

The main stories from the publication are: 

• 3.2% (£9.9 billion) of total benefit expenditure was overpaid due to fraud and error

• 0.4% (£1.2 billion) of total benefit expenditure was underpaid due to Official Error

• The net loss to the Department for Work and Pensions, after accounting for recoveries, was 2.8% (£8.6 billion) of total benefit expenditure

Feedback or enquiries about these statistics should be directed by email to: enquiries.fema@dwp.gov.uk

Published 14 May 2026