DWP confirms Universal Credit fraud crackdown to launch soon

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will launch a new campaign at the end of January 2026 to combat fraud within the Universal Credit system. This initiative will specifically target three key areas where significant financial losses occur: incorrect reporting of living arrangements, undeclared savings and capital, and unreported self-employment income. The campaign aims to increase awareness among Universal Credit recipients about the consequences of failing to report changes in their personal circumstances to the DWP. It also seeks to improve understanding of precisely which changes need to be reported. These communications will be delivered through various channels including on-demand video, out-of-home advertising, digital display, paid search, and paid social media. Recent DWP reports indicate that benefit overpayments reached £9.5 billion in the 2024/25 financial year, representing 3.3% of overall benefits expenditure, a slight decrease from the previous year. While c... download the app to read more