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last mo.

DWP Blocks Over £1 Billion in Incorrect Universal Credit Payments as Error Rate Falls

An expanded case review has driven a 20% drop in the Universal Credit overpayment rate this year with fraud forecast to rise 5% annually.

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Overview

  • The Targeted Case Review team has assessed over one million Universal Credit claims since its 2022 launch and now numbers 5,930 staff.
  • More than £1 billion in incorrect payments has been blocked through systematic reviews of under- and overpayments.
  • Universal Credit overpayment rates fell to 3.3% (£9.5 billion) in financial year 2025 from 3.6% (£9.7 billion) in 2024.
  • The DWP expects the review programme to deliver £13.6 billion in cumulative savings by 2030.
  • Reviews are not designed to detect deception but can trigger referrals to the department’s counter-fraud team when fraud is suspected.