Benefit fraud rockets to £9 billion a year as civil servants check benefits applications from home

People applying for state benefits are having their claims checked by civil servants working from home as fraud rockets to almost £9billion per year.

Critics last night urged welfare chiefs to halt remote working amid fears it is wide open to abuse by fraudsters. 

Civil servants are being paid up to £32 an hour to dole out benefits remotely without the need for claimants to visit an office and have a face-to-face interview.

The working from home roles include responsibility for handing out some £216 billion in benefits claims for unemployment, disability and housing support.

Ministers were recently blasted by a committee of MPs after bungling staff in the Department of Work and Pensions lost a record £8.6billion of taxpayers’ money to fraud and error last year – almost double what was lost the year before the pandemic.

Civil servants are being paid up to £32 an hour to dole out benefits remotely without the need for claimants to visit an office. Pictured: Whitehall

Tory MP Sir Desmond Swayne, who sits on the Commons Work and Pensions Committee, said: ‘These home working arrangements sound absurd when benefit fraud runs to billions of pounds. Face to face encounters should be standard.’

One role based in Sheffield is advertising for a benefits assessor on up to £32 an hour. The job advert said successful applicants will be tasked with ‘processing applications for housing benefits support’ and can ‘be based anywhere in the UK (just) as long as they have a good internet connection.’

A second role advertised by government contractor Civica is advertised as ‘home-based’ with a ‘competitive salary.’ Candidates are told they will not have to attend an office and meet claimants in person to discuss their claims.

The job advert said: ‘Want to address your work-life balance? Fed up of the commute? Do you want your voice heard? Do you want to take control of your working life?’

Another role for a ‘Financial Assessment Officer’ working from home promises successful candidates ‘less commuting, (and) more time with your friends and family.’

Remote working took off during the Covid pandemic. Ministers have demanded to see more staff in offices but thousands of civil servants, backed by unions, have stubbornly refused to return to full-time office working.

James Roberts, managing director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Taxpayers need to know they’re getting value for money from welfare workers. Given the size of the bumper benefits bill, staff that want to work-from-home should expect savings to be made on their pay and premises.’

But a spokesman for the Local Government Association, which represents more than 350 councils across England and Wales, said: ‘Flexible working helps councils recruit the staff they need and is ultimately good for retention, good for morale and gives people the ability to have more balance, which is good from a health and wellbeing perspective. 

‘As long as councils can balance that with the needs of residents and services, then it’s a win-win situation for everybody.’