To pay the right amount, to the right person, at the right time, government needs effective processes. Where these fail, fraud, error and outstanding debts to government all increase. In addition, new ways of delivering services bring new processes and controls, and create new risks and new opportunities. For example, more data sharing between government bodies can reduce fraud and error, but can also enhance the risk of cyber crime and accidental loss of confidential customer information.
Fraud and error affects many departments and almost all government bodies have debt owed to them, such as overdue tax liabilities and outstanding fines. Government could save £10 billion every year through better management of fraud, error and debt – especially by DWP and HMRC, which deal with the largest payments to and from the public.
Key NAO publications
In 2019-20 HM Revenue and Customs collected £636.7 billion in total tax revenues. The amount of tax overdue for payment at 31 March 2020 was £22.4 billion. On 20 March 2020, the government announced measures that deferred future payments of some taxes, in recognition of the financial pressures put on taxpayers as a result of … Read more
This guide uses the NAO’s insights to show what can be done to counter the risk of fraud and error.
The C&AG has reported on the 2019-20 accounts of HM Revenue & Customs.
This report examines the implementation of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
This investigation describes the scheme’s purpose and how it functions, performance to date, and how government manages value-for-money risks.
Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Department for Work and Pensions’ annual report and accounts 2019-20
The Comptroller & Auditor General , Gareth Davies, has qualified his opinion on the regularity of HMRC’s 2018-19 Resource Accounts.
The Comptroller and Auditor General has reported on the 2018-19 accounts of the Department for Work and Pensions.
The Whole of Government Accounts consolidates the public sector’s accounts to produce a picture of the UK’s public finances.
This report aims to evaluate and conclude on HM Treasury’s overall approach to over-indebtedness.
