Government must do more to counter fraud in an emergency

The government can do more now to ensure that it is better prepared to protect taxpayers’ money in future crises according to a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO).

Before the pandemic the NAO says that fraud reported in accounts it audited rose from £5.5bn in the two years before the pandemic to £21bn in the two years after. It estimates that £7.3bn of this related to temporary Covid-19 schemes with the bulk of the rest of the rise attributed to benefit fraud.

In a new report the NAO makes recommendations on what the government can do now to better prepare for spending in the next emergency. These include creating a flexible counter-fraud capability with the right people and skills across government who can be deployed at pace.

The government should also plan how to buy in a seller’s...