The latest report estimates fraud and error levels in the benefit system in Great Britain, published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) today, found that benefit fraud accounts for just 0.7 per cent of the welfare budget.
The latest estimates of fraud and error levels in the benefit system in Great Britain, published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) today, found that:
- 0.7 per cent, or £1.2bn, of total benefit expenditure is overpaid due to fraud;
- 0.9 per cent, or £1.6bn, of total benefit expenditure is overpaid due to claimant error;
- 0.4 per cent, or £0.7bn, of total benefit expenditure is overpaid due to official error.
Polling carried out by the TUC in January found that on average people thought that 27 per cent of the welfare budget was claimed fraudulently.
It’s actually 0.7 per cent.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said people had been “brainwashed into believing that the benefits system is riddled with fraud”.
“Instead of seeking to demonise those on benefits, ministers should be getting tough on tax-evading companies who are cheating the Treasury out of £25bn a year.”
2 Responses to “Benefit fraud accounts for just 0.7 per cent of welfare budget, official figures show”
thetwonations
There are two kinds of benefit fraud: http://thetwonations.co.uk/2013/05/two-kinds-of-benefit-fraud/
Arn D
Aaaand? This is fraud whereas the ‘tax evasion’ mentioned here is perfectly legal – the treasury isn’t being ‘cheated’ out of anything.