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FRAUD has quadrupled since the start of the Covid pandemic with the government accused by MPs of “flying blind” on the problem.
The cross-party public accounts committee (PAC) said that while most of the £21 billion of taxpayers’ money lost to fraud during the pandemic is unlikely to be recovered, the government should be doing more to recoup what it can.
In a report, the panel criticised the current system of fraud assessment for failing to reveal where the problems lie or which public bodies are most affected.
It also said the fourfold increase of public money paid out to fraudsters in the two years of the pandemic damaged public confidence in the integrity of government.
Chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier said: “The government is flying blind on the levels of fraud and corruption perpetrated against it, despite widespread awareness of the toxic threat posed by these despicable crimes.”
The UK slipped to 18th — from eighth — out of 180 countries in 2022 for perceived corruption levels, according to Transparency International.
The government has been approached for comment.
