Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Fourth Report of the Public Accounts Committee of 2023–24 on The Department for Work & Pensions Annual Report and Accounts 2022–23, HC 290, published on 16 November 2023, for what reason his Department assumes that fraud will rise by five per cent each year.

We do not forecast that fraud will rise by 5% per year. We forecast that fraudulent behaviour (or the propensity to commit fraud) will rise by 5% per year.