Overview
- The alert targets about 23.7 million people receiving State Pension, Universal Credit, PIP, Attendance Allowance or JSA across Great Britain.
- The department highlighted that it never sends direct links to claim payments and warned claimants never to share personal or financial details in response to unsolicited messages.
- The warning was published on July 4–5 via the DWP’s official X and Facebook accounts to maximise reach among benefit recipients.
- Claimants are instructed to report suspicious texts on GOV.UK by searching “avoid and report internet scams and phishing” or to verify messages by calling official DWP or HMRC helplines.
- Fraudsters have been impersonating the DWP, HMRC and other government bodies with false offers of cost-of-living payments, Warm Home Discount and Winter Fuel Payment applications.