Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of cases in the targeted case review system were (a) discontinued and (b) endorsed on the grounds that they were likely to contain (i) fraud and (ii) error after being checked by a human reviewer in the most recent period for which data is available.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The TCR process is led by specialised agents to find incorrectness on claims and put it right. Prior to starting a claim review, agents will preview the claim to make sure it meets the criteria for selection. Claims selected for review are not endorsed on the grounds they are likely to contain fraud or error. It is only once a claim review is complete that an agent can determine the outcome. Performance for the financial year 22/23 is included in the DWP Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) Report, available on GOV.UK. The ARA report for financial year 23/24 is expected to be published Summer 2024.

We do not categorise claims as discontinued. A claim may be deselected for review if it does not meet the criteria.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Q27 of the oral evidence to the Work and Pensions Committee on 10 January 2024, HC 417, what biases there are in the (a) AI and (b) machine learning systems used by his Department to detect and prevent fraud in the benefit system; and how these biases have been used to identify fraud.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Please be assured that assessments of bias have been conducted for all IRIS machine learning models and the screening to date has not identified any areas of concern. The outcomes will be published in summer 2024 within DWP’s Annual Report and Accounts.

The department always ensures appropriate safeguards are in place. There are detailed Data Protection Impact Assessments and Equality Analysis that accompany our machine learning models, and these are live documents that are kept updated. We also work closely with legal colleagues to ensure our use of machine learning is legal and proportionate. As an additional safeguard, all decisions on claims are made by DWP case workers based on all the facts and individual circumstances of the claim.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential for bias in the automated machine learning and decision-making systems used to audit.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Please be assured that assessments of bias have been conducted for all IRIS machine learning models and the screening to date has not identified any areas of concern. The outcomes will be published in summer 2024 within DWP’s Annual Report and Accounts.

The department always ensures appropriate safeguards are in place. There are detailed Data Protection Impact Assessments and Equality Analysis that accompany our machine learning models, and these are live documents that are kept updated. We also work closely with legal colleagues to ensure our use of machine learning is legal and proportionate. As an additional safeguard, all decisions on claims are made by DWP case workers based on all the facts and individual circumstances of the claim.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the (a) Integrated Risk and Intelligence Service, (b) Enhanced Checking Service, (c) Risk Review Team, (d) Enhanced Review Teams, (e) Universal Credit advances claims decision risk model, (f) Common Risk Engine, (g) General Matching Service, (h) Fraud Referral and Intervention Management System (i) Targeted Case Review and (j) any other systems have been used as part of fraud surveillance in the benefits system in the last year.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

None of the teams or systems referenced carry out surveillance in the benefits system.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants referred by a DWP algorithm for case review as potentially containing fraud or error were (a) in receipt of disability benefit and (b) registered as disabled; and of these claims how many experienced benefits (i) stoppages and (ii) suspensions in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department does not hold the information requested.

Found: Current membership Sir Stephen Timms MP (Labour, East Ham ) (Chair) Debbie Abrahams MP (Labour, Oldham

Found: Current membership Sir Stephen Timms MP (Labour, East Ham ) (Chair) Debbie Abrahams MP (Labour, Oldham

Found: Q279 Debbie Abrahams: Thank you.

Found: Current membership Sir Stephen Timms MP (Labour, East Ham ) (Chair) Debbie Abrahams MP (Labour, Oldham

Found: Current membership Sir Stephen Timms MP (Labour, East Ham ) (Chair) Debbie Abrahams MP (Labour, Oldham

Found: Current membership Sir Stephen Timms MP (Labour, East Ham ) (Chair) Debbie Abrahams MP (Labour, Oldham

Found: Current membership Sir Stephen Timms MP (Labour, East Ham ) (Chair) Debbie Abrahams MP (Labour, Oldham

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sir Stephen Timms (Chair); Debbie Abrahams; Nigel Mills; Selaine

Found: Q21 Debbie Abrahams: Okay.

Found: Chair: Let’s go first to Debbie Abrahams, who has some questions for you.

Found: Questions 1 - 16 Representations made I: Debbie Abrahams II: Navendu Mishra and Alison Thewliss III:

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