Submission from the National Audit Office
OVERPAYMENTS OF BENEFIT EXPENDITURE IN THE
LAST FOUR YEARS
| Year | Total benefit expenditure
£ million
| Due to Official error
£ million
| Due to Customer error
£ million
| Due to fraud
£ million
| Total
£ million
|
Percentage of total benefit expenditure
|
| 2008-09 | 135,900 |
900 | 900 | 900
| 2,700 | 2.0 |
| 2007-08 | 126,100 | 1,000
| 900 | 800 | 2,700
| 2.1 |
| 2006-07* | 119,800 | 900
| 1,000 | 800 | 2,700
| 2.2 |
| 2005-06** | 115,800 | 900
| 1,000 | 800 | 2,700
| 2.3 |
Source: Department for Work and Pensions Resource Accounts, rounded to nearest £100 million.
* 2006-07 figures were re-stated subsequent to publication of the 2006-07 Resource Accounts.
** Previous estimates included c. £600 million in relation to overpayments of Disability Living Allowance which were due to gradual improvements in the medical status of claimants, so that the level of benefit in payment would no longer have been considered to be appropriate to the claimants' current status had it been reviewed. Those overpayments have been omitted from the above estimated overpayments because, unless a fresh assessment of the claimant's health is carried out, the existing level of benefit remains consistent with legal requirements.
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UNDERPAYMENTS OF BENEFIT EXPENDITURE IN THE LAST FOUR
YEARS
| Year | Total benefit expenditure
£ million
| Due to Official error
£ million
| Due to Customer error
£ million
| Total
£ million
|
Percentage of total benefit expenditure
|
| 2008-09* | 135,900 |
500 | 700 | 1,200 |
0.9 |
| 2007-08* | 126,100 | 400
| 600 | 1,100 | 0.9
|
| 2006-07 | 119,800 | 500
| 600 | 1,000 | 0.9
|
| 2005-06 | 115,800 | 400
| 500 | 900 | 0.8
|
Source: Department for Work and Pensions Resource Accounts rounded to nearest £100 million. Amounts may not sum due to roundings.
* State Pension has been included for comparative purposes, acknowledging that in 2007-08 and 2008-09 the audit opinion has not been qualified in respect of fraud and error relating to this benefit.
March 2010
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