Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in his Department were employed in tackling benefit fraud in (a) 2025 and (b) 2020.

Since Autumn Budget 24, including the new announcements at Autumn Budget 25, the Government have committed to gross savings of £14.6bn up to the end of 2030/31 from fraud, error and debt activity in GB.

The Government is committed to ensuring that public funds are spent appropriately and deliver value for taxpayers. Fraud against the welfare system undermines public services and takes resources away from those who need them most.

Within the Department for Work and Pensions, tackling fraud and error is a shared responsibility across all roles, from Work Coaches in Jobcentres to colleagues in Service Centres. Because this work is embedded throughout the organisation, it is not possible to provide a precise breakdown of staff numbers or costs dedicated solely to preventing and detecting fraud