Oral Question·Department for Work and Pensions
“If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.”
Tabled: 28 January 2025Answered: 3 February 2025
Asked by
Lee Pitcher
Labour — Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme
Answering Minister
the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Answer from Hansard
Andrew Western
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. The assessment I have made is of a trend that is up, up, up after 14 years of the Conservative party failing to act. We lost £9.7 billion in fraud and error in the Department for Work and Pensions last year, and we have lost £35 billion since the pandemic. That is too much, which is why I hope colleagues will support the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill on Second Reading later.