DWP Minister Andrew Western has confirmed a new campaign to tackle Universal Credit fraud
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has revealed a new initiative to combat Universal Credit fraud will launch at the end of January. DWP Minister Andrew Western also confirmed the initiative will target three primary loss areas.
These are living arrangements, savings and self-employment. Mr Western’s remarks came in a written reply after Labour MP Callum Anderson enquired ‘what assessment the DWP has made of the potential impact of public information campaigns on levels of benefit-related fraud’.
The Minister replied: “DWP will be launching a new campaign at the end of January 2026. This campaign will focus on the three greatest key loss areas for the Department – living together, self-employed, and capital and savings. It will run across a range of channels, including on demand video, out-of-home, digital display, paid search and paid social.”
Mr Western continued: “The campaign’s communications objectives are to increase awareness of the consequences of not reporting changes of circumstances to DWP and to increase understanding of the types of changes of circumstances that need to be reported amongst Universal Credit customers.”
The DWP distributes welfare benefits to approximately 23.7 million people across Great Britain. That figure encompasses over 8m people receiving Universal Credit. The recently released annual ‘Fraud and error in the benefit system’ report, which calculates how much money the Department has incorrectly disbursed during the 2024/25 financial year, through either overpayments or underpayments, reveals that £9.5billion was overpaid to claimants, representing 3.3 per cent of total benefits expenditure, reports the Daily Record.
This marks a decrease from £9.7bn (3.6%) in 2023/24. The overall rate of benefit underpayments stayed unchanged at £1.2bn (0.4%). To be eligible for DWP benefits, including Universal Credit, people must satisfy certain qualifying criteria and the sum they receive is determined by their circumstances.
The DWP said: “Sometimes people tell us the wrong information or do not tell us when their circumstances change. Reporting accurate information and providing evidence may change the amount of benefit people are eligible for and in some circumstances, they may be eligible for more money.
“However, we cannot calculate the correct amount unless people tell us accurately about their circumstances. This means that people are not eligible for increases in the amount of money they receive until we have the correct information.”
Universal Credit is a means-tested benefit typically paid monthly. However, many of the 8.4m recipients may be unaware of specific changes in circumstances that must be reported to the DWP, or it could affect their entitlement or payments and in some instances, even result in a penalty fine or court appearance.
There are nearly 20 changes that require reporting, including obtaining a new mobile number or email address, changing to a different bank account, relocating and your rent increasing or decreasing.
DWP guidance on GOV.UK cautions: “You could be taken to court or have to pay a penalty if you give wrong information or do not report a change in your circumstances.”
Circumstance changes you must report to DWP
DWP guidance on GOV.UK states you need to report changes in your circumstances so that you keep getting the right amount each month. It adds you need to report changes “as soon as they happen” because any delay “may mean you receive too much money and will have to make a repayment”.
DWP warns: “Changes in your circumstances can affect how much you’re paid for your whole assessment period – not just from the date you report them.”
Changes can include:
- Finding a job
- Finishing a job
- Having a child
- Moving in with your partner
- Starting to care for a child
- Starting to care for a disabled person
- Your child stopping or restarting education or training, if they’re aged 16 to 19
- Changing your mobile number
- Changing your email address
- Moving to a new address
- Going outside Great Britain for any length of time, if you live there
- Going outside Northern Ireland for any length of time, if you live there
- Changing your bank details
- Your rent going up or down
- Changes to your health condition
- Becoming too ill to work or meet your work coach
- Changes to your earnings (only if you’re self-employed)
- Changes to your savings, investments and how much money you have
- Changes to your immigration status, if you’re not a British citizen
How to report a change
DWP advises that claimants can report a change of circumstances by signing in to their online Universal Credit account.
If you get a job or increase the hours you work
Use a benefits calculator or speak with your work coach to find out how getting a job or an increase in your earnings might affect your Universal Credit claim.
Most employers will report your earnings for you. You will normally only need to report monthly earnings if you are self-employed.
If you have been paid too much by DWP
You may have to repay the money if you:
- did not report a change straight away
- gave wrong information
- were overpaid by mistake
Full details about benefit overpayments can be found on GOV.UK here.
