The information is not available prior to 2001-02 and is not available by quarter.
The Department's measurement system for fraud and error does not estimate the number of cases of fraud or error over a given period. It does provide estimates of the average proportion and number of claims that are fraudulent or in error at any one time during a year.
Estimates at regional level have been produced for income support and jobseeker's allowance, and published as National Statistics from 2001-02 onwards. These estimates are reproduced in the following tables. These estimates are based on a sampling exercise, and are subject to a degree of statistical variation. At regional level the sample sizes are small, so the uncertainty around the estimates is relatively large.
Estimates for Housing Benefit have not been produced at regional level. Estimates at national level of the proportion of cases that are paid incorrectly through fraud and error since 2002-03 can be found at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd2/fem/fem_apr05_mar06_ new.xls
Government office region Fraud Customer error Official error Total 2001-02 North East 6,000 6,000 8,000 20,000 North West 18,000 17,000 21,000 53,000 Yorkshire and the Humber 11,000 8,000 17,000 35,000 East Midlands 5,000 8,000 11,000 21,000 West Midlands 9,000 9,000 19,000 35,000 East 5,000 9,000 14,000 26,000 London 25,000 21,000 33,000 73,000 South East 16,000 12,000 22,000 45,000 South West 7,000 13,000 10,000 27,000 Wales 6,000 6,000 8,000 20,000 Scotland 18,000 17,000 21,000 53,000 2002-03 North East 4,000 7,000 9,000 19,000 North West 17,000 16,000 28,000 59,000 Yorkshire and the Humber 13,000 8,000 18,000 38,000 East Midlands 5,000 8,000 10,000 22,000 West Midlands 6,000 11,000 16,000 30,000 East 5,000 10,000 11,000 24,000 London 23,000 16,000 47,000 81,000 South East 14,000 12,000 26,000 48,000 South West 6,000 10,000 10,000 25,000 Wales 7,000 4,000 11,000 22,000 Scotland 13,000 8,000 12,000 31 ,000 2003-04 North East 5,000 5,000 12,000 21,000 North West 13,000 17,000 35,000 60,000 Yorkshire and the Humber 7,000 12,000 20,000 37,000 East Midlands 3,000 7,000 14,000 22,000 West Midlands 6,000 13,000 18,000 35,000 East 4,000 9,000 15,000 27,000 London 13,000 21,000 43,000 73,000 South East 15,000 13,000 25,000 49,000 South West 4,000 9,000 12,000 24,000 Wales 5,000 6,000 11,000 20,000 Scotland 10,000 12,000 19,000 39,000 2004-05 North East 5,000 6,000 12,000 22,000 North West 10,000 18,000 29,000 54,000 Yorkshire and the Humber 6,000 8,000 20,000 33,000 East Midlands 2,000 8,000 13,000 20,000 West Midlands 6,000 13,000 23,000 41,000 East 3,000 10,000 19,000 30,000 London 11,000 19,000 48,000 74,000 South East 10,000 15,000 25,000 45,000 South West 3,000 8,000 15,000 24,000 Wales 5,000 7,000 14,000 25,000 Scotland 7,000 14,000 17,000 36,000 2005-06 North East 4,000 7,000 7,000 17,000 North West 6,000 13,000 23,000 44,000 Yorkshire and the Humber 8,000 11,000 14,000 33,000 East Midlands 1,000 9,000 8,000 17,000 West Midlands 2,000 12,000 15,000 28,000 East 3,000 13,000 9,000 26,000 London 13,000 30,000 36,000 78,000 South East 7,000 15,000 22,000 44,000 South West 3,000 12,000 11,000 24,000 Wales 4,000 5,000 12,000 21,000 Scotland 5,000 14,000 11,000 29,000
Government office region Fraud Customer error Official error Total 2001-02 North East 3,000 1,000 2,000 6,000 North West 8,000 2,000 7,000 16,000 Yorkshire and the Humber 7,000 2,000 7,000 15,000 East Midlands 3,000 1,000 6,000 9,000 West Midlands 6,000 1,000 5,000 12,000 East 3,000 2,000 5,000 9,000 London 15,000 4,000 13,000 31,000 South East 5,000 1,000 4,000 10,000 South West 3,000 2,000 3,000 7,000 Wales 2,000 1,000 2,000 5,000 Scotland 6,000 1,000 5,000 12,000 2002-03 North East 2,000 1,000 2,000 5,000 North West 5,000 3,000 7,000 14,000 Yorkshire and the Humber 3,000 2,000 4,000 8,000 East Midlands 3,000 1,000 4,000 8,000 West Midlands 5,000 2,000 4,000 11,000 East 3,000 2,000 4,000 9,000 London 10,000 2,000 17,000 28,000 South East 5,000 2,000 7,000 12,000 South West 2,000 2,000 5,000 8,000 Wales 2,000 1,000 2,000 5,000 Scotland 7,000 1,000 6,000 14,000 2003-04 North East 3,000 1,000 3,000 6,000 North West 4,000 4,000 8,000 15,000 Yorkshire and the Humber 2,000 3,000 5,000 10,000 East Midlands 2,000 2,000 4,000 7,000 West Midlands 3,000 4,000 5,000 11,000 East 1,000 3,000 4,000 8,000 London 6,000 6,000 18,000 29,000 South East 4,000 3,000 8,000 14,000 South West 1,000 2,000 5,000 8,000 Wales 1,000 2,000 2,000 5,000 Scotland 4,000 3,000 6,000 13,000 2004-05 North East 1,000 1,000 2,000 4,000 North West 2,000 3,000 4,000 9,000 Yorkshire and the Humber 2,000 2,000 4,000 7,000 East Midlands 0 2,000 2,000 4,000 West Midlands 1,000 3,000 3,000 7,000 East 1,000 2,000 4,000 6,000 London 4,000 6,000 14,000 22,000 South East 3,000 3,000 6,000 10,000 South West 1,000 1,000 2,000 4,000 Wales 1,000 1,000 1,000 3,000 Scotland 2,000 3,000 4,000 9,000 2005-06 North East 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 North West 4,000 2,000 5,000 9,000 Yorkshire and the Humber 3,000 1,000 3,000 7,000 East Midlands 0 1,000 3,000 4,000 West Midlands 1,000 3,000 4,000 6,000 East 1,000 1,000 3,000 5,000 London 3,000 2,000 7,000 11,000 South East 1,000 2,000 3,000 6,000 South West 1,000 1,000 3,000 5,000 Wales 1,000 0 2,000 3,000 Scotland 1,000 2,000 2,000 5,000 Notes: 1. The estimates are of the average number of cases that were incorrect at any point during the year. They are not estimates of the total number of individual cases affected during the year. 2. Estimates are of incorrectness, so include both overpayments and underpayments. 3. Estimates are rounded to the nearest 1,000. An entry of zero indicates an estimate of less than 500. 4. There is some overlap between the fraud and error categories, as it is possible for example for an official to make an error on a case that is already fraudulent. This means that the customer error and official error estimates should not be summed to give an overall error estimate. 5. Income support estimates refer only to working age claimants.
The Department has in place, and is extending coverage of, a range of measures to address the risks of fraud by UK nationals abroad. These included acquisition of foreign death data, independent certification that overseas customers are still alive, location of DWP representatives overseas and joint collaboration agreements with other countries.