Overview
- An official review of 23,794 cases opened between August and October 2025 confirmed 14,994 claimants were eligible, 1,019 were ineligible, and 7,781 cases remain open pending evidence.
- HMRC had removed PAYE employment checks when scaling the operation, relying instead on Home Office international travel data that can indicate intended travel rather than proof of departure.
- Approximately 15,000 families had Child Benefit payments wrongly halted and later reinstated, with HMRC issuing an apology and revising procedures.
- Internal documents reported by the press show HMRC assessed the approach as carrying a “tolerable” risk with only a “remote” chance of harm.
- MPs, including Treasury Committee chair Dame Meg Hillier, and civil society groups such as Open Rights Group have questioned the data choices and the quality of the data protection impact assessment.