Communities Minister Gordon Lyons is going to “name and shame” those convicted of benefits fraud and announced the establishment of a task force to examine his department’s involvement in such cases.
Approximately 300 successful prosecutions for benefits fraud were brought over the last five years, involving £4.5m. The Department for Communities handles approximately £8.4bn in payments, which comes directly from the UK Treasury.
In a statement to the Assembly, Mr Lyons said he would introduce the naming of those convicted of benefit fraud, which was discontinued in 2020 but a previous minister, Deirdre Hargey.
“Welfare fraud is not just a financial issue, it is a moral one,” Mr Lyons said.
“When individuals cheat the system, they are not stealing from a faceless entity; they are taking from their neighbours, their friends, and their fellow citizens.
“They are undermining the very safety net that so many rely on. Therefore, let me be unequivocal: I am taking a zero-tolerance approach. I am personally committed to rooting out fraud and ensuring that those who exploit the system face the consequences.”
In a previous statement, the DfC said the loss to benefits fraud and error amounted to 2.9% of overall benefit expenditure. This would equate to around £243m a year.
Mr Lyons said his department’s benefit security division made around 20,000 investigative contacts last year. He announced the establishment of a “task and finish group to examine the Department’s current interventions in fraud cases”.
“There is a substantial body of work underway in my department to ensure the right money goes to the right people at the right time,” said Mr Lyons.
“My department receives approximately 10,000 fraud allegations per year and around 25,000 ‘high risk’ scans which helps us point our resources to the emerging risk
“All allegations are triaged before routing to the appropriate team to investigate. This is an indication of how seriously we take this issue.”
