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Written question asked by Lord McCabe (Labour) on Wednesday, 17 July 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 July 2019 (named day). It was answered by Lord Sharma (Conservative) on Monday, 22 July 2019 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Universal Credit: Fraud

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2019 to Question 275665 on universal credit: fraud, what recourse is available to people who without their full knowledge have had their information used to make a fraudulent claim.

Answer

The Department takes benefit fraud very seriously and ensures that all cases are investigated thoroughly.

If a claimant has been the victim of fraud, and has not benefitted financially in any way, they will not be asked to repay the money. The Department considers all cases on their own merits and decisions are made on the strength of the evidence provided.

The Department remains committed to tackling the issue of fraudulent Universal Credit advance claims. We have set up a dedicated team of investigators to work on advances fraud cases, released a campaign on social media to raise awareness and remind people of the importance of safeguarding their identity and have been working with Social Media sites to shut down pages which promote this fraud, having shut down 52 so far.

If any claimant has concerns about the safety of their personal information, they should speak to a member of Jobcentre staff or get help from Action Fraud.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
278344
Session
2017-19
Related items
Universal Credit: Fraud
Monday, 15 July 2019
Written questions
House of Commons
Universal Credit: Fraud
Thursday, 5 September 2019
Written questions
House of Commons
Universal Credit: Fraud
Monday, 9 September 2019
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Applications Fraud Internet Personation Universal credit
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk