Where unlawful occupation of social housing properties occurs, the government expects landlords to take active steps to tackle fraud and ensure social housing is used fairly – this may include taking legal action.

The Department collects data on the number of properties recovered where there was evidence that the tenant had been illegally sub-letting the property in Section G of the Local Authority Housing Statistics, published here. The Department does not monitor how social housing landlords are using the powers available under the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013.

The government has commissioned a review examining how effectively social housing providers manage their stock, including tackling issues such as fraud, under-occupation, overcrowding and empty homes. Findings will be published later this year.

Where unlawful occupation of social housing properties occurs, the government expects landlords to take active steps to tackle fraud and ensure social housing is used fairly – this may include taking legal action.

The Department collects data on the number of properties recovered where there was evidence that the tenant had been illegally sub-letting the property in Section G of the Local Authority Housing Statistics, published here. The Department does not monitor how social housing landlords are using the powers available under the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013.

The government has commissioned a review examining how effectively social housing providers manage their stock, including tackling issues such as fraud, under-occupation, overcrowding and empty homes. Findings will be published later this year.

Where unlawful occupation of social housing properties occurs, the government expects landlords to take active steps to tackle fraud and ensure social housing is used fairly – this may include taking legal action.

The Department collects data on the number of properties recovered where there was evidence that the tenant had been illegally sub-letting the property in Section G of the Local Authority Housing Statistics, published here. The Department does not monitor how social housing landlords are using the powers available under the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013.

The government has commissioned a review examining how effectively social housing providers manage their stock, including tackling issues such as fraud, under-occupation, overcrowding and empty homes. Findings will be published later this year.

Where unlawful occupation of social housing properties occurs, the government expects landlords to take active steps to tackle fraud and ensure social housing is used fairly – this may include taking legal action.

The Department collects data on the number of properties recovered where there was evidence that the tenant had been illegally sub-letting the property in Section G of the Local Authority Housing Statistics, published here. The Department does not monitor how social housing landlords are using the powers available under the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013.

The government has commissioned a review examining how effectively social housing providers manage their stock, including tackling issues such as fraud, under-occupation, overcrowding and empty homes. Findings will be published later this year.

DWP’s overarching policy is that debts should be recovered as quickly and cost effectively as possible without causing financial hardship to customers. To support this, the Department sets limits to how much can be deducted and a “deductions priority order” determines the order in which different deductions must be taken. This means certain other debts, may be prioritised before benefit overpayments.

The Department routinely publishes information on debt levels, including debt stock, debt categorisation and debt write-offs, in its Annual Report and Accounts, which is available on GOV.UK. The 2025-26 report can be accessed here.

We are unable to provide information relating to the average time taken to recover a debt as the cost to calculate this would be disproportionate.

The Home Office takes the threat of fraud within the visa application system very seriously. All visa applications are subject to rigorous checks to assure the identity of the applicant and the information that is provided in support of applications. Where there is evidence of fraud, applications will be refused. Our systems and our responses to these threats are constantly in review to ensure we keep pace and are alert to emerging risks and can make necessary adjustments or improvements to prevent further fraudulent activity.

The Government recognises the significant harm caused by fraudulent adverts and the potential for those adverts to be made more credible through the use of deepfakes and other generative AI tools.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) is the independent regulator responsible for regulating advertising in the UK, through codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP). The codes do not restrict the use of deepfakes within advertisements. However, they do include clear rules intended to protect consumers from misleading marketing communications, and rules regarding testimonials and endorsements.

Further, Since March 2025, the Online Safety Act (OSA) has required platforms to introduce proactive measures to protect users from user-generated fraud. The OSA lists fraud as a priority offence and regulates AI-generated media in the same way as ‘real’ content. Later this month Ofcom will be going further, consulting on new measures for the largest online platforms to prevent fraudulent advertising. We are backing this up by investing £250 million to disrupt fraudsters and protect the public through our new Fraud Strategy.

Whilst policing is a devolved matter in Scotland, the UK Government works closely with Police Scotland and other partners to ensure a coordinated UK-wide response to all fraud. The National Crime Agency (NCA), City of London Police and other law enforcement partners work with Police Scotland on intelligence sharing, investigations and operational activity. This includes through the recently established dedicated Cyber and Fraud Unit in Police Scotland to work with UK law enforcement partners and develop a more effective response to online fraud and cyber-enabled crime

The City of London Police are also working with Police Scotland to build the foundations that will enable future participation in the Report Fraud service

The Government's Fraud Strategy 2026–2029 announced the creation of the Online Crime Centre (OCC). Led by the Home Office and the NCA, and backed by £37 million of public investment, the OCC will bring together law enforcement, Government, intelligence agencies and industry partners. The OCC combines data, expertise and capabilities from across the public and private sectors to identify criminal methodologies and enablers, improve intelligence development and data sharing, and coordinate disruption activity against online fraud and cyber crime. This will strengthen the collective response to online fraud affecting communities across the UK.

The Government takes fraud against the National Health Service very seriously and uses a range of measures to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud.

We have a comprehensive Counter Fraud Strategy in place, supported by a coordinated, system-wide approach across primary care, including in general practice, to identify and mitigate fraud risks. This includes the use of Fraud Risk Assessments and Initial Fraud Impact Assessments to understand and manage risks across contracted services.

A network of Local Counter Fraud Specialists operates across England, providing a comprehensive counter-fraud service to NHS organisations.

In addition, the NHS Counter Fraud Authority is a dedicated special health authority tasked with leading the fight against fraud, bribery, and corruption in the NHS in England. Where allegations of fraud are received, appropriate action is taken, including criminal investigation where appropriate.