UK Inquiry Tracker

HMRC’s anti-fraud intervention on child benefit

Public Accounts Committee Open Inquiry

Opened: 24 Apr 2026 Parliament page

In 2024-25, material levels of fraud and error in child benefit stood at £270m. HM Revenue & Customs launched a new intervention in 2025 to tackle fraud and error in child benefit cases, which aimed to save c.£350m over five years. HMRC used Home Office flight data to identify suspicious … Read more In 2024-25, material levels of fraud and error in child benefit stood at £270m. HM Revenue & Customs launched a new intervention in 2025 to tackle fraud and error in child benefit cases, which aimed to save c.£350m over five years. HMRC used Home Office flight data to identify suspicious cases where the child or family might no longer be resident in the UK. Initially, this meant that HMRC suspended payments of Child Benefit immediately for identified cases, without notifying people first. As of January 2026, HMRC reports that it had reinstated payments for over 70% of initial cases, and has modified its approach. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has a long-standing interest in how government tackles error and fraud. The PAC found in 2023 that large gaps remained in government’s understanding of its exposure to the risks of fraud and corruption against it. The Treasury Select Committee (TSC) looked at HMRC’s intervention in this area in November 2025 , criticising the tax authority’s approach as cavalier. The TSC found that HMRC removed employment checks when expanding the use of flight data to detect child benefit fraud, after which 23,794 claimants had their payments suspended. The National Audit Office (NAO) publishes its independent assessment into HMRC’s child benefit fraud-and-error intervention in summer 2026. Proceeding from the NAO’s investigation, which will examine the intervention in detail and what lessons have been learned from it, the PAC will hear from witnesses including senior HMRC officials as it examines how the risks and complexities associated with trialling new methods of tackling fraud and error can be managed by government. If you have evidence on these issues, please submit here by 23.59 on Firday 3 July 2026. Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere. Please note that the Committee’s inquiry cannot assist with individual cases. If you need help with an individual problem you are having, you may wish to read the information on Parliament’s website about who you can contact with different issues . Show less