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
NAO review of audits finds common issues across government
26 Jan Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
NAO review of audits finds common issues across government
HMRC reinstates 17,000 frozen child benefit cases after checks error
20 Jan Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
HMRC reinstates 17,000 frozen child benefit cases after checks error
HMRC perm sec says AI adoption won’t reduce staff numbers
15 Jan Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
HMRC perm sec says AI adoption won’t reduce staff numbers
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
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