Accredited official statistics

Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2014/15 preliminary estimates

Preliminary estimates of fraud and error levels in the benefit system in Great Britain in the financial year 2014/15.

This publication was withdrawn on

We replaced these preliminary estimates with more up to date estimates of fraud and error in the benefit system on 5 November 2015.

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Documents

Fraud and error in the benefit system: preliminary 2014/15 estimates first release

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Reference tables: Fraud and error in the benefit system, 2014/15 preliminary estimates

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Fraud and error in the benefit system: background information and methodology

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Infographic: Insight into benefit fraud and error estimates

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Infographic: Changes to the way we measure Housing Benefit fraud and error

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Fact sheet: Fraud and error in the benefit system, preliminary 2014/15 estimates

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Infobytes (infographics): Fraud and error in the benefit system, preliminary 2014/15 estimates

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Details

This report provides preliminary estimates of fraud and error levels in the benefit system in Great Britain for the financial year 2014/15. The main points from the report are:

  • 1.9% of total benefit expenditure was overpaid due to fraud and error
  • the estimated value of overpayments is £3.2 billion (a fall from the 2013/14 estimated value of £3.4 billion)
  • the net government loss, after recoveries, is £2.3 billion, or 1.4% of expenditure
  • 0.9% of total benefit expenditure was underpaid due to fraud and error (the same as the 2013/14 estimate of 0.9%)
  • the estimated value of underpayments is £1.4 billion

Next release: November 2015

More information

Send any comments or questions about our fraud and error estimates to caxtonhouse.femaenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Updates to this page

Published 14 May 2015
Last updated 17 July 2015 + show all updates
  1. Published revised reference tables with corrected data on Housing Benefit underpayment official errors in tables 9 and 10.

  2. First published.

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