Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of claimants of (a) universal credit and (b) legacy benefits who have had fraudulent claims made in their name in each month in 2020.

We do not have an estimate of the number of claimants of (a) Universal Credit and( b) Legacy benefits who have had a fraudulent claim made in their name in each month in 2020.

If an individual approaches DWP alleging they have had their identity hijacked, we will investigate the matter.

Where a person has had their identity hijacked and their details have been used to make a fraudulent claim for Universal Credit, the Department may consider the reinstatement of legacy benefits where it is clear they played no part in the making of the claim.