Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the criteria must be fulfilled in cases of universal credit advance payment loan fraud for a person to be removed from universal credit and returned to the old benefits system.

The Department is committed to the prevention, detection and investigation of all types of benefit fraud. Since 18 September 2019, claimants are required to attend an interview at a Jobcentre to verify their identity before claiming a Universal Credit new claim advance. This change is helping protect claimants from identity fraud and becoming victims of third party scams.

The Department will review each case where a claim to Universal Credit was prompted by fraudulent activity. If there is clear evidence that the claimant had no involvement in the fraud, and where the claimant wishes us to do so, we will consider re-instating DWP legacy benefits.