Fraud and error in the benefits system decreasing

The Department for Work and Pensions released the latest official figures on fraud and error in the benefits system on 11 May, which finds that the total rate of overpayments fell from 4 percent in 2022 (£8.7bn) to 3.6 percent in 2023 (£8.3bn). More specifically, the overpayment rate concerning Universal Credit decreased from 14.7 percent (£5,920 million) to 12.8 percent (£5,540 million) in the past year. The Universal Credit overpayment rate and rates of claimant error has reduced by over a third, according to the government.