Oral QuestionDepartment for Work and Pensions

What steps she is taking to help tackle fraud in the welfare system.

Tabled: 26 August 2025Answered: 1 September 2025

Asked by

John Cooper

ConservativeDumfries and Galloway

Answering Minister

the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Answer from Hansard

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Andrew Western)

The Government have committed to significant measures to counter welfare fraud, error and debt. This is the biggest package of such measures in recent history, and the Office for Budget Responsibility has estimated that it will deliver an additional £9.6 billion of savings over the next five years. The package is underpinned by our Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill, which contains a range of new powers to enable us to keep pace with offenders who exploit the social security system.