The vast majority of Benefits are paid correctly. The total yearly DWP Benefit bill averaged for the measured period was £183.5 billion.
The government has produced the latest Fraud and Error in the Benefit System 2018/19 Estimates.
2.2%(£4.1 billion) of expenditure was overpaid. Of this 1.2%(£2.3 billion) was paid fraudulently, 0.6% due to (£1.1 billion) paid due to other claimant error and 0.4% (£0.7 billion) due to DWP/ Local Authority/ HMRC error.
1.1%(£2 billion) of benefit expenditure was underpaid due error by the claimant and the benefit authorities.
Remember that these figures are low compared to how many people don't claim the benefits they are entitled to- government estimates regularly produce a figure of £13 billion per year unclaimed in means tested benefits. and yet people
are visiting foodbanks.
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