Written Question·Department for Work and Pensions·UIN 71039

Universal Credit: Fraud

Tabled: 29 August 2025
Answered: 4 September 2025

Question

Lee Anderson

Reform UK — Ashfield

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the estimated cost of (a) fraud and (b) error in Universal Credit claims was in each of the last five years.

Answer

Andrew Western
Estimates of the overpayment cost of fraud and error in the benefit system for the past five financial years can be found at: Fraud and error in the benefit system - GOV.UK