£1.3bn in Housing Benefit Paid Out Wrongly

Soaring rates of housing benefit fraud and overpayments are costing each family in the country £70 a year, it has emerged. Last year a staggering £1.27billion was lost to the taxpayer in housing benefit fraud and errors – up a third in just two years. This record amount compares with £980million of losses in 2010/11, according to DWP figures. Estimates for 2012/13 show that 6.3 per cent of all housing benefit paid out is believed to be either fraud or a mistake. Read more on the Daily Mail website.