Ex-minister rips into Treasury perm sec over fraud ‘complacency'
10 Mar 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants

Ex-minister rips into Treasury perm sec over fraud ‘complacency'

Department a “Dad’s Army operation” when it came to keeping criminals away from the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, says Agnew
by Jim Dunton
BEIS recovered just 1% of £1.1bn fraud in Covid support loans to small firms
24 Mar Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
BEIS recovered just 1% of £1.1bn fraud in Covid support loans to small firms
DLUHC’s local-audit backlog issues ‘could get worse’, watchdog warns
16 Mar Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
DLUHC’s local-audit backlog issues ‘could get worse’, watchdog warns
Government bolsters counter-fraud profession with skills-focused strategy
03 Mar Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
Government bolsters counter-fraud profession with skills-focused strategy
Cabinet Office offers £120k for Public Sector Fraud Authority chief
06 Feb Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
Cabinet Office offers £120k for Public Sector Fraud Authority chief
Department launches campaign to find permanent head for new organisation
National Audit Office boss: ‘We’re not a remote working organisation’
06 Dec 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
National Audit Office boss: ‘We’re not a remote working organisation’
Some organisations made "premature" decisions, "boxing themselves into a strategy that they might now be regretting", Gareth Davies says
DWP and HMRC get cash boost for 6,000 new staff to tackle fraud, error and tax dodging
17 Nov 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
DWP and HMRC get cash boost for 6,000 new staff to tackle fraud, error and tax dodging
Autumn Statement brings £300m for recruitment drive – but departments will be told to find savings elsewhere
DWP accused of passing the buck for 'unacceptably high' benefits fraud
09 Nov 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
DWP accused of passing the buck for 'unacceptably high' benefits fraud
PAC chair says DWP does not have plan to "get a grip" on the billions it is losing every year
Energy relief schemes put ‘very large’ amount of public money at risk, BEIS perm sec warns
26 Oct 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
Energy relief schemes put ‘very large’ amount of public money at risk, BEIS perm sec warns
Sarah Munby raises concerns over fraud and value for money in requests for ministerial directions
HMRC 'falling short' on efforts to recoup billions of Covid furlough fraud
14 Oct 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
HMRC 'falling short' on efforts to recoup billions of Covid furlough fraud
Spending watchdog urges government to allocate sufficient resources to tackle fraud and error
DHSC ‘accelerating disposal’ of £4bn stockpile of unusable PPE
11 Aug 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
DHSC ‘accelerating disposal’ of £4bn stockpile of unusable PPE
Department says waste firms hope to “recover” 15,000 pallets of products a month by the end of the year
Stepping up the fight: How a new public body aims to protect taxpayers’ money from fraud
03 Aug 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
Stepping up the fight: How a new public body aims to protect taxpayers’ money from fraud
The Public Sector Fraud Authority is set to change the way government departments and public bodies deal with the nation’s most common crime. Interim chief exec Mark Cheeseman answers CSW’s questions
'We’re here to lock up the bad guys': using forensics to foil fraudsters
02 Aug 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
'We’re here to lock up the bad guys': using forensics to foil fraudsters
A huge diversity of people and roles make up the modern civil service. Colin Smith started out as a police officer before moving into the private sector. Now he leads forensics at HMRC
Department for International Trade reports rise in fraud cases
02 Aug 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
Department for International Trade reports rise in fraud cases
Companies misusing DIT branding and misrepresenting their relationship with the department
DWP overpaid £8.5bn in benefits last year, annual accounts reveal
11 Jul 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
DWP overpaid £8.5bn in benefits last year, annual accounts reveal
National Audit Office dubs figure a “record level” and says it is £380m up on 2020-21
Public spending watchdog names eight ‘departments of concern’
26 May 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
Public spending watchdog names eight ‘departments of concern’
PPE stockpile and backlog woes help DHSC top PAC chair's problem list
BEIS 'offered open goal to fraudsters’ with Covid loan schemes
19 May 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
BEIS 'offered open goal to fraudsters’ with Covid loan schemes
Public Accounts Committee says the department officials failed to properly warn ministers of how severe potential fraud levels might be
HMRC to open 12th regional hub later this month
11 May 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
HMRC to open 12th regional hub later this month
Manchester will open next as part of a strategy the department says will save it more than £300m by 2026
‘We did what we could as quickly as we could’: Treasury perm sec rejects Covid fraud complacency claims
29 Apr 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
‘We did what we could as quickly as we could’: Treasury perm sec rejects Covid fraud complacency claims
Tom Scholar told the Treasury Committee officials put together loan schemes under "exceptional circumstances"
A third of departments set to miss annual report deadline, Treasury says
26 Apr 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
A third of departments set to miss annual report deadline, Treasury says
2021-22 reports will include statements on the impact of the pandemic on departmental goals plus a fraud-and-error analysis of Covid schemes
British Business Bank chiefs question ex-minister’s claims on Covid loan fraud data
16 Mar 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
British Business Bank chiefs question ex-minister’s claims on Covid loan fraud data
Barclays boss tells MPs that HMRC could have given more anti-fraud help
Civil servants accused of ‘paranoid risk aversion’ over Covid support schemes
15 Mar 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
Civil servants accused of ‘paranoid risk aversion’ over Covid support schemes
Ex-minister says entire board of British Business Bank should be sacked for Bounce Back Loan failings
Covid public inquiry hearings ‘will not begin until 2023 at the earliest’
11 Mar 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
Covid public inquiry hearings ‘will not begin until 2023 at the earliest’
Revelation comes as inquiry chair puts draft terms of reference out to consultation
HMRC looks ‘soft on fraud’ over billions of lost Covid support, MPs warn
11 Feb 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
HMRC looks ‘soft on fraud’ over billions of lost Covid support, MPs warn
Public Accounts Committee blasts lack of ambition as department expects to write off “at least £4bn” in furlough and SEISS payments
A matter of tax: HMRC's Angela MacDonald on hubs, fraud and why she'd never leave Yorkshire Exclusive
03 Feb 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
A matter of tax: HMRC's Angela MacDonald on hubs, fraud and why she'd never leave Yorkshire
Second perm sec Angela MacDonald reflects on HMRC's role in the Covid response and EU transition, and what its massive office rationalisation programme means for levelling up
Tension grows between Treasury and No.10 over blame for pandemic fraud
27 Jan 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
Tension grows between Treasury and No.10 over blame for pandemic fraud
Chancellor denies "ignoring" billions in fraud after minister quits over failure to tackle the problem
HMRC expects to recoup only a quarter of £6bn lost to Covid fraud and error
18 Jan 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
HMRC expects to recoup only a quarter of £6bn lost to Covid fraud and error
Department revises down estimate of taxpayers’ money it could get back by March 2023
CMA chief exec announces plan to step down
10 Jan 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
CMA chief exec announces plan to step down
Andrea Coscelli will leave regulator at the end of July after six years as CEO