Work being carried out by around 1,400 DWP staff to identify fraud and error in universal claims made during the pandemic is being undertaken with the ‘utmost care and diligence’

Work and Pensions Minister adds that the Department is taking a 'sensitive and proportionate' approach, but that in cases resulting in overpayments 'we take the appropriate steps to recover'

Work being carried out by around 1,400 DWP staff to identify fraud and error in universal claims made during the pandemic is being undertaken with the 'utmost care and diligence', DWP Minister Will Quince has said.

Mr Quince was responding to a letter from Stephen Timms, the chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, that asked about the Department's work to examine claims made during the pandemic in cases where the usual verification processes had been suspended, and Mr Quince's statement that -

'We will correct each and every case where we find something is wrong, and where appropriate, we will bring to bear the full force of the law.'

Requesting further information on the exercise, Mr Timms said -

'We are conscious that, with so many people making claims for the first time and with advice services over-stretched, many claimants may have made honest mistakes in their claims. It is also possible that DWP staff, deployed to the frontline at great speed to handle an unprecedented volume of new claims, may have - entirely understandably - made some errors in processing them.'

In response, Mr Quince says -

'... as an organisation we processed an additional 3 million new universal credit claims since mid-March 2020. Our aim was clear: getting money as quickly, and as safely as possible, to those who needed it. To achieve this, we streamlined some of our normal checks that prevent fraud from claimants.

We have now identified those claims made during this period that are considered to carry the highest risk of being incorrect and are reviewing them accordingly. This exercise seeks to ensure information provided is factually correct at the time the claim was made and adjust the award where needed.

In cases resulting in overpayments, we take the appropriate steps to recover. We will consider whether formal action is appropriate in each instance which could result in prosecution action being taken. We currently have around 1,400 staff engaged in this exercise to date.

I share your view that we need to be both sensitive and proportionate here. Please be assured that we are undertaking this work with the utmost care and diligence.'

In addition, asked whether the Department will seek to recover an overpayment if a claimant made an honest mistake in their claim, Mr Quince says -

'While a claimant may have made an honest mistake which results in an overpayment, it is reasonable to ask them to repay the excess ... We also understand the impact that recovering debt can have on benefit claimants and people with low income ... All claimants can contact us if they are experiencing financial hardship in order to negotiate a reduction in their rate of repayment.'

The correspondence between the Committee chair and Mr Quince is available from parliament.uk