Andrew Williams, Executive Officer, The Local Authority Investigation Officers Group (LAIOG) is chairing an Inside Government conference on June 10 in central London. The topic: Tackling fraud and error in the benefit system.
Speakers include Peter Cawdron, Head of Fraud, Error and Debt Strategy and Policy at the Department for Work and Pensions; Mark Astley, Director of the National Anti-Fraud Network; David Wright, Investigations Manager, Trafford Borough Council; Darren Shillington, Senior Data Matching Manager and Head of the NFI (National Fraud Initiative) team at the Audit Commission; and Mark Babington, Fraud Lead, National Audit Office, and Member of the Cabinet Office’s Fraud, Error and Debt Taskforce.
For the day’s agenda in full visit http://www.insidegovernment.co.uk/event-details/benefit-fraud/333/#agenda
As event organisers point out, in January 2014, the Department for Work and Pensions released figures that show fraud and error in the benefit system stands at 2.1 per cent of overall welfare expenditure. Recently published official statistics show that the total estimated value of overpayments due to fraud and error across all benefits in 2012-13 was £3.5 billion.
Welfare reforms by the Conservative-led Coalition are targeted towards bringing down fraud and error in the benefits system. With the introduction of Universal Credit, it is expected that the new, streamlined benefits system will bring down levels of fraud and error to make savings of £200m a year. Proposed measures to counter fraud include the Single Fraud Investigation Service (bringing together local and central government work); and linking benefits with PAYE tax systems to highlight if a person is working while claiming.
In January 2014 the Work and Pensions Committee of MPs also announced an inquiry fraud and error in the benefits system. A Work and Pensions Committee member, Debbie Abrahams MP, is among invited speakers. For more details email: [email protected].
