Speaking ahead of a House of Commons committee on Benefits Legislation (Thursday 29th January 2015) to proposals to raise the maximum penalty for fraud from £2000 to £5000, Helen Goodman MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Welfare Reform, said:

“David Cameron’s government has failed to reduce the amount of taxpayers’ money lost to error and fraud in the benefits system. Since 2010 it has increased by £200 million. Labour is supporting an increase in penalty payments, but ministers must do far more to tackle rising fraud and error on their watch which is leading to more Tory Welfare Waste.”