Minister commits to accept Benefit Fraud and Error Task and Finish Group recommendations

Gordon Lyons MLA, the Minister for Communities in Northern Ireland, told the Assembly on 9 February 2026 that he is accepting the recommendations of the Benefit Fraud and Error Task and Finish Report, covering four areas of work¹. He said the Department for Communities will strengthen validation of claimants' declared circumstances, expand its Benefit Security and Universal Credit teams, improve staff training, make more use of technology with the Department for Work and Pensions, and raise public awareness of benefit fraud¹.

The Minister said around 200 additional staff would be recruited to keep pace with DWP counter-fraud activity, and that a new advertising campaign on radio, newspapers and social media would launch that day¹. He said a number of the measures, particularly those involving increased capacity, are subject to funding bids and cannot proceed without financial support¹. He also said he will seek a 50% share of savings generated, in line with the Fresh Start Agreement, and that the UK Government has confirmed it will work with the Northern Ireland Executive over the coming months on ways to tackle welfare fraud and error and on funding options, including the potential to share a portion of resulting savings¹.

The Minister said 3.7% of benefit expenditure in 2024, £350.3 million, was lost to fraud and error¹. He said anonymous fraud referrals from the public reached 9,857 at the end of January 2026, against a total year-end figure of 6,353 for 2024/25¹. By 31 December 2025, 497 criminal investigations into benefit fraud had been concluded, and 57 prosecutions were made between 1 April 2025 and 6 February 2026¹. £16.7 million will be spent in 2025/26 on counter-fraud activity across the Department, and debt recovery work had produced a total recovery of £638,636 up to 31 December 2025¹.

The statement set out savings from case reviews and compliance work:

Source: Department for Communities¹

The Minister said the Department's Benefit Security Intervention teams generated a return of 8:1 on investment in 2024/25¹. He said the £16.7 million allocated in 2025/26 is insufficient given the rising scale and complexity of the challenge, and that current allocations mean the Department cannot maintain parity with the DWP¹.

Why it matters for households

The measures concern benefits paid by the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland, which administers Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance there. Claimants in Northern Ireland face closer checking of the circumstances they declare, alongside expanded Benefit Security and Universal Credit teams, once the additional staff are in place¹. The Department says it will also improve training on fraud and error indicators, including mistakes made by officials¹.

The figures show the scale of correction already under way: 2,072 Universal Credit claims and 677 ESA claims were corrected in the reviews to the end of December 2025, with the Department reporting savings of over £10.6 million and £2.5 million respectively¹. Overpayments arising from fraud, error or changes in circumstances are recovered, and the Department says repayment is managed in a fair and proportionate way¹.

The Minister said the Department supports those who are genuinely entitled and that the campaign aims to encourage the public to report fraud and to deter people from committing it¹. He also said the Department re-introduced the practice of naming those found guilty in the courts in April last year¹.

What happens next

The advertising campaign was due to launch on 9 February 2026¹. The Minister said officials have already prioritised actions that do not require additional funding, and that the UK Government will work with the Northern Ireland Executive over the coming months on ways to tackle welfare fraud and error and on funding options, including the potential to share a portion of savings¹. The capacity measures depend on funding bids, and the Minister said the Executive must support the initial investment¹. No timetable for recruiting the additional staff has been reported.