Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the total cost of all forms of welfare benefit fraud over the last 12 months.

Estimates of fraud and error levels in the benefit system in Great Britain are published annually. Information for the financial year 2025 to 2026 will be published later this year.

Information on the financial year 2024 to 2025 can be found here: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UK – see section 4. Total estimates of fraud and error across all benefit expenditure: overpayments due to Fraud were 2.2% (£6.5bn) in FYE 2025, compared with 2.7% (£7.3bn) in FYE 2024.