Dwp release results of pip claims study

I would trust an independent auditor.

It doesn't seem to matter how many times well respected institutions give the figures for benefit fraud. people want to believe it is much higher than it is, so that is what they go on believing.

So the dwp are committing fraud themselves, by fiddling the books, then.
OK.

I’d say that’s absolute rubbish. I know of many people claiming this and/or benefits who could work but don’t want to. Or claim to have certain conditions yet are well enough to engage in activities which would be prohibitive if they truly had that wrong with them. Makes me so mad when there are so many people with genuine health issues yet are struggling to get anything at all. It’s like a game of Russian roulette trying to get state help.

The above mentions the gang.

Overpayments due to official errors made by the DWP were 0.2% (£10m), mainly because the department made errors when allocating award levels at assessment stage.

Erhardt added: “If the government is concerned about fraud, it would be serious about the £15.2bn that multinational companies hide from the UK via tax havens. Money which could fund public services that we all need and use. Instead, disabled people continue to be demonised.”

Universal credit fraud is at much higher rates. Overpayments due to fraud were 10.9%, equating to a loss of £5,660m to the taxpayer. That’s compared with 11.4% (£4,930m) in the financial year ending 2023.

Earlier this year, an organised gang was convicted of stealing £54m from the universal credit system by submitting thousands of false claims.

Under-declaration of income remained the most prominent reason for universal credit fraud, followed by a failure to provide evidence or engage with the Jobcentre.

But fraud relating to additional elements besides standard allowance – such as the health elements or carer elements – were just 0.1% in the financial year ending 2024.

There are almost zero recorded losses to the taxpayer due to fraud in the disability benefit benefits system, new statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show.

Personal independence payment (PIP) fraud stood at 0% in the financial year ending 2024. Meanwhile, disability living allowance (DLA) fraud was just 0.1%, which was rounded to £0m.

It comes as the government continues its drive to tighten disability benefits, eradicate “sick-note culture” and crack down on fraud within the welfare system more widely.

Benefit reforms ‘entirely in the wrong direction’ to help disabled people into work, DWP warned
DWP sparks outcry with plan to hire 2,500 ‘agents’ to investigate universal credit claimants
Mikey Erhardt, campaigner at Disability Rights UK said: “New data shows what we, as disabled people, have known for years – PIP fraud is a non-issue. PIP fraud is now the lowest on record – despite the government placing fraud front and centre of their latest public announcements.”

PIP overpayments stood at 0.4%, which is the equivalent of £90m lost in a year. That is compared to 1.1% (£200m) in the financial year ending 2023, a significant decrease.

The majority of overpayments happened because of errors where the claimant did not report a change in their needs. Only one in 100 PIP claimants were overpaid

Had the 'Bulgarian gang' claimed PIP GSM?

Who would you trust then?

The report is from the DWP. They talk of ‘recorded cases’ of fraud. What about the Bulgarian gang which was in the news a while ago? I wouldn’t trust the DWP on this.

I haven't read it all yet, but thought I would get it here...

It comes as no surprise to me MissA as PIP is notoriously difficult to apply for with many applicants being refused when they apply for the first time.

Perhaps "some people" would like to read it.
Straight from the horse's mouth.