Fraud, Error Debt & Grants

Open data organisation co-founded by Sir Tim Berners-Lee says proposed model for the privately-owned Land Registry "appears very similar to historic examples of long-term outsourcing deals and risks repeating the same mistakes"

Online payments firm Stripe – which handles payments for Kickstarter – among those chosen in revamped approach to government merchant services

Mismatch between school year used by academies and DfE's own accounting period means parliament cannot properly hold the department to account, says the NAO

New report calls on government to give better detail on city region power structures and spending

MPs demand tax agency improves “woefully inadequate” prosecutions record and says it should publish more straightforward details on the effectiveness of its work. But HMRC says it has been "relentless and strategic" in pursuing those who fail to pay their "fair share"

National Audit Office (NAO) report finds that each loan given out under the Department of Energy and Climate Change's Green Deal cost government £17,000, and flags poor use of evidence and testing when the scheme was designed 

PACAC chair Bernard Jenkin makes the case for greater parliamentary role in choosing appointments watchdogs, as Sir Gerry Grimstone rejects claims that his review gives ministers too much power over top jobs

Troup faces media scrutiny over role at Simmons & Simmons – as HMRC points out his role "has never involved responsibility for operational activities or direct dealings with companies on their tax affairs"

HMRC asks for access to the Panama Papers offshore leaks and vows to "relentlessly pursue" wrongdoing – but tax expert Richard Murphy says department "just hasn’t got the resources"

Department must to more to challenge contractors, say MPs, as too many health and disability assessments do not meet acceptable standards despite an increase in the cost per assessment

Consultation outlines proposals to let government share data to improve services, reduce fraud, and create timely research and statistics

National Audit Office report says Cabinet Office's Fraud, Error and Debt team is "growing into a centre of expertise" – but warns departmental data is "often variable and not sufficient" to keep tabs on the true scale of public sector fraud

Contract renewed for two years as investigations into Libor scandals continue

Public Accounts Committee calls for greater focus on preventing over- and underpayments

Department for Work and Pensions accounts qualified again as NAO says fraud and error in the benefits system "remains unacceptably high"

The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) launched the Global Fraud Risk Register, its new global initiative for tackling fraud across the public sector.

At least 2% of the government’s benefits expenditure has been taken up by fraud and error since 2005, according to new figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The government will save an additional £2.3bn by reducing fraud, error and debt, chancellor George Osborne announced in his Autumn Statement last week.

The efforts of Companies House (CH) to tackle fraud should be based on “strengthening the current model rather than radically changing company law”, its chief executive has told CSW, to ensure that anti-fraud work doesn’t weaken transparency in business information or create additional burdens on business.

Fraud is widespread at government contractors A4e and Working Links, their former head of audit, Eddie Hutchinson, has said.

A poll by CSW, carried out in partnership with analytics company SAS, has found that 74 per cent of senior civil servants and 73 per cent of all civil servants believe that departments and agencies would be better incentivised to tackle fraud and error if they were allowed to keep some of the savings.

All departments, agencies and non-departmental bodies will have to commission private companies to conduct ‘spend-recovery’ accounts in search of fraudulent or mistaken payments, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude announced on Monday at the launch of the government’s Fraud and Error Strategy.