Committees

Fraud and error in housing benefit

Inquiry

The Department for Work and Pensions spent £23.9 billion on Housing Benefit in 2013-14, 15% of its total benefit spending. DWP estimates that £1.4 billion of Housing Benefit was overpaid in 2013-14. At 5.8% of expenditure, Housing Benefit has the highest rate of overpayment among the Department's benefits. Overpayments were up from 4.6% in 2010-11. The increase in overpayments is largely due to increases in claimant error, which rose from £590 million in 2010-11 to £900 million in 2013-14. If DWP is to achieve its target to reduce the level of overpayments across welfare benefits, it will need a significant reduction in Housing Benefit fraud and error - a benefit for which it retains responsibility but is administered by local authorities. This inquiry will consider progress in dealing with Housing Benefit fraud and error, DWP’s management and oversight of this issue and the processes and interventions which target Housing Benefit fraud and error.

Further information

Reports, special reports and government responses

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27th Report - Housing benefit fraud and error
Inquiry Fraud and error in housing benefit
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HC 706
Report
Response to this report
Housing benefit fraud and error: Government response to the Committee's Twenty-seventh Report of Session 2014-15
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CM 9033
Government Response

Correspondence

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Correspondence with the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to Fraud and Error in Housing Benefit
Inquiry Fraud and error in housing benefit
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Correspondence

Oral evidence transcripts

No oral evidence transcripts published.

Written evidence

No written evidence published.

Other publications

Government Responses
The Government has undertaken to respond to most committee reports within two months, although there are exceptions to this rule.
1 published

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