Fraud and error: DWP has wisely put more focus on prevention – now it must put its vision into practice
05 Nov 2025 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants

Fraud and error: DWP has wisely put more focus on prevention – now it must put its vision into practice

Extra funding for fraud and error activity, and lessons learned from its interventions to date, present DWP with opportunities to increase the scale and impact of its approach
by Laura Brackwell
Cross-government report shows quadrupling of detected fraud and error in two years
18 Feb Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
Cross-government report shows quadrupling of detected fraud and error in two years
DWP urged to target staff mistakes in fraud-and-error crackdown
18 Feb Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
DWP urged to target staff mistakes in fraud-and-error crackdown
Culture change at DWP too slow, committee chair warns
06 Feb Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
Culture change at DWP too slow, committee chair warns
DLUHC’s local-audit backlog issues ‘could get worse’, watchdog warns
16 Mar 2023 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
DLUHC’s local-audit backlog issues ‘could get worse’, watchdog warns
MPs are told that dealing with delayed local-council accounts could be hampered by NHS changes
Government bolsters counter-fraud profession with skills-focused strategy
03 Mar 2023 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
Government bolsters counter-fraud profession with skills-focused strategy
Strategy aims to increase capability of government staff who work on protecting public services from fraud
Cabinet Office offers £120k for Public Sector Fraud Authority chief
06 Feb 2023 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
Home Office ‘not leading effective cross-government strategy to tackle fraud’
15 Nov 2022 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
Home Office ‘not leading effective cross-government strategy to tackle fraud’
Watchdog says department still does not understand full scale of the issue five years after it called for urgent action
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