Responding to the publication of DWP figures on Housing Benefit overpayments, Debbie Abrahams MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said:  

“The £1.9 billion overpayment of Housing Benefit is yet another example of this Tory Government’s incompetence - introducing policies without considering their consequences.

“By slashing local authorities’ budgets while forcing them to adapt to the disastrous Universal Credit, the Tories have left many authorities without the resources to properly manage Housing Benefit case-loads. This creates both waste in the system, as overpayments have to be recovered, and considerable anxiety for people who may not realise they have been overpaid.

“With £9.3 billion of Housing Benefit already going to private landlords, the idea that Tory incompetence could be further lining their pockets with overpayments is of serious concern. “

Ends

Notes

Link to figures: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/housing-benefit-recoveries-and-fraud-data