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Housing Benefit (HB) is an income-related benefit that is intended to help meet housing costs for rented accommodation.

This publication updates statistics on the amount of HB that local authorities (LAs) identified had been overpaid to claimants, the amount recovered and the amount written off, with data for the financial year ending (FYE) 2022 (April 2021 to March 2022).

1. Main stories

2. What you need to know

This summary contains statistics on the amount of overpaid聽HB identified, recovered and written-off by LAs. The statistics are based on the Housing Benefit Debt Recovery (HBDR) returns, collected from LAs each quarter.

The statistics are published twice a year, in March and September. The March publication contains data for the first two quarters of the financial year (April to September). The September publication contains data for the whole of the financial year.

Data tables containing data that underpin the charts and figures featured in this statistical summary are available. As well as the regional and GB totals shown in this statistical summary, the data tables show figures for individual LAs.

厂辞尘别听LAs do not send data returns every quarter or cannot supply data for all fields. In early years of the HBDR collection, estimates were made of missing data. These were added to the data that LAs did return to produce estimates of GB totals.

In the charts in this summary, GB figures up to Quarter 2 of FYE 2017 are 鈥渋mputed鈥� totals, based on estimates of missing LA data. From Quarter 3 of FYE 2017, figures shown are those actually returned by LAs, with no estimates being made for missing data. However, the amount of missing data excluded from the figures is small 鈥� in FYE 2022, returns were received covering 99.2% of HB claimants in GB.

Since the end of 2018, most new working-age claimants have claimed the housing element of Universal Credit (UC) rather than HB. The number of people claiming HB has been steadily decreasing and will continue to fall as existing HB claims transfer to UC. This has had an impact, both on the amount of overpaid HB identified by LAs, and the amount of overpaid HB that they recover.

3. Key trends

Since FYE 2020, LAs have either recovered or written-off more HB overpayments than they have identified. As a result, the total amount of outstanding debt has fallen. At the start of Q4 of FYE 2022, total outstanding debt stood at 拢1.78 billion. This was 拢96 million (5%) less than at the start of Q4 of FYE 2021.

During the COVID lockdowns, many LAs redeployed staff away from debt recovery to frontline activities and restricted face-to-face meetings between staff and claimants. Subsequently, FYE 2021 saw the lowest amount of overpaid HB identified by LAs since the statistics began. In total, 拢380 million of overpaid HB was identified in FYE 2021 compared with 拢599 million in FYE 2020.

The amount of overpaid HB that LAs identified increased by 拢31 million, or 8%, between FYE 2021 and FYE 2022, to 拢411 million. However, the amount of overpaid HB that LAs identified remained below pre-Pandemic levels and, after increasing, from 拢92 million in Q3 of FYE 2021 to 拢107 million in Q2 of FYE 2022, in Q3 of FYE 2022 it started to fall again. In Q4 of FYE 2022 LAs identified 拢100 million overpaid HB.

The amount of overpaid HB that LAs recovered followed a similar trend, falling by 28% between FYE 2020 and FYE 2021. In FYE 2022, the amount of overpaid HB that LAs recovered increased slightly, by 拢9 million, or 2%. However, after increasing, from 拢99 million in Q2 of FYE 2021 to 拢109 million in Q2 of FYE 2022, in Q3 of FYE 2022 it started to fall again. In Q4 of FYE 2022 LAs recovered 拢102 million overpaid HB.

The amount of overpaid HB that LAs wrote-off fell by 拢0.5 million, or 1%, in FYE 2022, to 拢63 million.

4. Total outstanding HB overpayments

At the start of Q4 of FYE 2022, total outstanding HB overpayments stood at 拢1.78 billion. This was 拢96 million (5%) less than at the start of Q4 of FYE 2021.

Total outstanding HB overpayments in聽Great Britain聽from Q1 FYE 2010 to Q4 FYE 2022 (拢 billions)

Note: GB figures up to Q2 of FYE 2017 are 鈥渋mputed鈥� totals, based on estimates of missing LA data. From Q3 of FYE 2017, figures shown are those actually returned by LAs. Source: HBDR data tables.

Up to the end of FYE 2018, the amount of overpaid HB that LAs recovered or wrote-off each quarter was, on average, around 75% to 80% of the amount of overpaid HB that they identified. As a result, the total amount of outstanding overpaid HB steadily increased.

Since FYE 2020, the total amount of overpaid HB outstanding has been falling because LAs are recovering or writing-off more HB overpayments than they newly identify. In Q4 of FYE 2022, LAs recovered 拢102 million overpaid HB and wrote-off 拢21 million overpaid HB, compared with 拢100 million overpaid HB identified.

Amount of overpaid HB identified / recovered and written-off by LAs from Q1 FYE 2010 to Q4 FYE 2022 (拢 millions)

Note: GB figures up to Q2 of FYE 2017 are 鈥渋mputed鈥� totals, based on estimates of missing LA data. From Q3 of FYE 2017, figures shown are those actually returned by LAs. Source: HBDR data tables.

At the start of Q4 of FYE 2022, London LAs reported 拢607 million outstanding overpaid HB, just over a third (34%) of the GB total. At the start of Q4 of FYE 2022, 90% of the outstanding overpaid HB in GB was in LAs in England, 3% in LAs in Wales and 8% in LAs in Scotland.

Total outstanding HB overpayments by region, at the start of聽Q4听辞蹿 FYE 2022

Region	Total outstanding HB overpayments (拢 millions)	Percentage of GB total
Great Britain	1,778	100%
North East	60	3%
North West	179	10%
Yorkshire and The Humber	93	5%
East Midlands	83	5%
West Midlands	159	9%
East	121	7%
London	607	34%
South East	197	11%
South West	91	5%
Wales	48	3%
Scotland	138	8%

Source: HBDR data tables.

5. HB overpayments newly identified by LAs

There was a steady increase in the amount of overpaid HB that LAs identified, from 拢151 million in Q1 of FYE 2010 to 拢213 million in Q2 of FYE 2015.

In Q3 of FYE 2015, there was a sharp increase in the amount of overpaid HB identified, followed by several years in which the amount of overpaid HB identified by LAs fluctuated.

There was a sustained fall in the amount of overpaid HB identified by LAs, from 拢190 million in Q3 of FYE 2019 to 拢92 million in Q3 of FYE 2021. The amount of overpaid HB identified by LAs subsequently increased, to 拢107 million in Q2 of FYE 2022. However, in Q4 of FYE 2022 it had fallen again, to 拢100 million.

Factors influencing the amount of HB overpayment identified by LAs include:

• the Fraud and Error Reduction Incentive Scheme (FERIS) was introduced in Q3 of FYE 2015 to help LAs to identify and prevent HB overpayment. Around the same time, real-time information (RTI) on claimant鈥檚 incomes became available to LAs. The income that claimants reported on their HB claims was checked against RTI on claimants鈥� actual income from HMRC. These checks led to undeclared income, and consequently overpaid HB, being identified by LAs

• UC rollout 鈥� at the start of Q3 FYE 2015, there were just over 4.9 million HB claimants in GB. By the start of Q4 FYE 2022, this number had fallen by 46% to just over 2.6 million. Since Q3 of FYE 2019, most new working-age claimants have claimed the housing element of UC rather than HB

• during the COVID lockdowns in Q4 FYE 2020 and FYE 2021, many LAs redeployed staff away from debt recovery to frontline activities and restricted face-to-face meetings between staff and claimants

HB overpayments newly identified in聽Great Britain,聽from Q1听辞蹿 FYE 2010 to Q4听辞蹿 FYE 2022 (拢 millions)

Note: GB figures up to Q2 of FYE 2017 are 鈥渋mputed鈥� totals, based on estimates of missing LA data. From Q3 of FYE 2017, figures shown are those actually returned by LAs. Source: HBDR data tables.

The amount of overpaid HB identified by LAs in FYE 2022 ranged from 拢13 million (3% of the GB total) in Wales and the North East to 拢125 million (31% of the GB total) in London. Of the overpaid HB identified in GB, 91% was identified by LAs in England, 3% by LAs in Wales and 6% by LAs in Scotland.

HB overpayments newly identified by LAs, by region, FYE 2022

Region	HB overpayments identified (拢 millions)	Percentage of GB total
Great Britain	411	100%
North East	13	3%
North West	36	9%
Yorkshire and The Humber	22	5%
East Midlands	19	5%
West Midlands	60	15%
East	30	7%
London	125	31%
South East	46	11%
South West	24	6%
Wales	13	3%
Scotland	23	6%

Source: HBDR data tables.

During FYE 2022, LAs identified overpaid HB equivalent to 拢12.51 per claimant per month. LAs in London identified the highest amount of overpaid HB, equivalent to 拢21.26 per claimant per month. LAs in England identified overpaid HB equivalent to 拢13.47 per claimant per month, compared with 拢7.78 in Wales and 拢6.90 in Scotland.

Average HB聽overpayment newly identified per claimant per month by region during聽FYE 2022

Region	Average HB overpayment newly identified per claimant per month
Great Britain	拢12.51
England	拢13.47
North East	拢7.81
North West	拢9.00
Yorkshire and the Humber	拢8.02
East Midlands	拢9.16
West Midlands	拢19.64
East	拢12.03
London	拢21.26
South East	拢12.91
South West	拢10.01
Wales	拢7.78
Scotland	拢6.90

Source: HBDR data tables.

6. HB overpayments recovered

The amount of overpaid HB recovered by LAs steadily increased, reaching a high of 拢175 million in Q4 of FYE 2018. Subsequently, the amount of overpaid HB recovered by LAs fell steadily, to 拢132 million in Q4 of FYE 2020.

The start of the COVID-19 lockdown saw a sharp fall in the amount of overpaid HB recovered by LAs. In Q1 of FYE 2021, it fell by nearly 拢30 million, to 拢103 million. In Q2 of FYE 2021 it fell again, to 拢99 million. There was a small increase in the amount of overpaid HB recovered by LAs, to 拢109 million in Q2 of FYE 2022. By Q4 of FYE 2022, however, it had fallen again, to 拢102 million.

HB overpayments recovered in聽Great Britain聽from聽Q1听辞蹿 FYE 2010 to聽Q4听辞蹿 FYE 2022 (拢 millions)

Note: GB figures up to Q2 of FYE 2017 are 鈥渋mputed鈥� totals, based on estimates of missing LA data. From Q3 of FYE 2017, figures shown are those actually returned by LAs. Source: HBDR data tables.

In FYE 2022, LAs in London reported 27% of the total amount of聽HB聽overpayments recovered in聽GB. Of the total HB overpayments recovered in GB, 92% was recovered by LAs in England, 3% by LAs in Wales and 5% by LAs in Scotland.

HB overpayments recovered by region, FYE 2022

Region	HB overpayments recovered (拢 millions)	% of GB total
Great Britain	423	100%
North East	15	3%
North West	39	9%
Yorkshire and The Humber	24	6%
East Midlands	22	5%
West Midlands	65	15%
East	34	8%
London	114	27%
South East	50	12%
South West	25	6%
Wales	14	3%
Scotland	22	5%

Source: HBDR data tables.

7. HB overpayments written off

Each year, the amount of overpaid HB written-off by LAs has been highest in Q4 (January to March) of the financial year. Q1 of the following year has seen a sharp fall.

In Q1 of FYE 2022, LAs wrote-off 拢12 million overpaid HB. This increased to 拢21 million in Q4 of FYE 2022. The overall amount of overpaid HB written-off in FYE 2022 was 拢0.5 million, or 1%, less than in FYE 2021.

Taking the financial year as a whole, FYE 2018 saw the highest amount of overpaid HB written-off, at 拢100 million, or 拢25 million per quarter. Since FYE 2018, the amount of overpaid HB written-off has fallen. In FYE 2022, 拢63 million was written-off, or just over 拢15 million per quarter.

HB overpayments written off in聽Great Britain, from聽Q4听辞蹿 FYE 2010 to聽Q4听辞蹿 FYE 2022 (拢 millions)

Note: GB figures up to Q2 of FYE 2017 are 鈥渋mputed鈥� totals, based on estimates of missing LA data. From Q3 of FYE 2017, figures shown are those actually returned by LAs. Source: HBDR data tables.

The amount of overpaid HB written-off by LAs in FYE 2022 ranged from 拢2.2 million (4% of the GB total) in Wales to 拢17.7 million (28% of the GB total) in London. 89% of write-off was made by LAs in England, 4% by LAs in Wales and 7% by LAs in Scotland.

HB overpayments written off by region, FYE 2022

Region	HB overpayments written-off (拢 millions)	Percentage of GB total
Great Britain	62.6	100%
North East	3.5	6%
North West	6.4	10%
Yorkshire and The Humber	4.6	7%
East Midlands	3.3	5%
West Midlands	4.3	7%
East	4.4	7%
London	17.7	28%
South East	7.0	11%
South West	4.6	7%
Wales	2.2	4%
Scotland	4.4	7%

Source: HBDR data tables.

8. About these statistics

This summary contains statistics on the amount of overpaid聽HB identified, recovered and written-off by LAs. The statistics are based on the Housing Benefit Debt Recovery (HBDR) returns, collected from LAs each quarter.

Publication schedule

The statistics are published twice a year, in March and September. The March publication contains data for the first two quarters of the financial year (April to September). The September publication updates the statistics with data for the whole of the financial year. Where LAs notified us of changes to their first two quarters鈥� data or provided a late Quarter 1 or Quarter 2 return after the deadline for the March 2022 publication, these have been incorporated into this publication.

Supplementary statistics

Data tables containing data that underpin the charts and figures featured in this statistical summary are available. As well as the regional and GB totals shown in this statistical summary, the data tables show figures for individual LAs.

LAs are asked to provide a breakdown between overpaid 鈥淩ent Allowance鈥� (HB paid to LA tenants) and 鈥淩ent Rebate鈥� (HB paid to housing association and private sector tenants). This breakdown is shown in the supplementary tables, in those LAs for which it is available.

Data completeness

厂辞尘别听LAs do not send data returns every quarter or cannot supply data for all fields. This produces missing data in the returns. The table at the end of this summary shows the scale of missing data, each year since the HBDR collection began.

In the first year of the HBDR collection (FYE 2009) LAs that returned data accounted for less than 75% of all HB claimants. In view of the scale of missing returns in FYE 2009, data for FYE 2009 have been excluded from the charts in this summary.

After the first year, response rates improved. In FYE 2010, responses were received covering approximately 96.5% of all HB claimants and from FYE 2014, over 99% of HB claimants were covered by the returns.

Up to Q2 of FYE 2017, when an LA did not send a return, its figures were estimated. These estimates were added to the returns that LAs did submit, to produce an 鈥渋mputed鈥� GB total. Information on how these estimates were calculated is available in the background information and methodology document.

During FYE 2017, the methodology for treating missing LA data was reviewed. It was decided that, in recent years, the amount of data missing from the HBDR return had reduced to the point that estimates were unnecessary. Therefore, in this statistical summary, while 鈥渋mputed鈥� GB totals are shown for earlier years, all of the figures from Q3 of FYE 2017 onwards are based on the data actually returned by LAs.

Figures for Q1 and Q2 of FYE 2022 that were published in March 2022 covered around 98% of HB claimants in GB.

Since March 2022, we have been able to improve return rates and fill some of the gaps in the Q1 and Q2 data. Overall, in FYE 2022, returns were received covering 99.2% of HB claimants in GB. In line with our policy since the September 2017 publication, a decision has been taken that data for FYE 2022 published in this summary should be based on the figures actually returned by LAs, rather than estimates. We continue to work with LAs to reduce the number of missing returns and will review our policy for treating missing data should the number of missing returns increase.

Comparability

As well as missing data, the background information and methodology document describes a number of other factors that need to be considered when comparing data. These include:

• it is not possible to make direct comparisons between the amount of HB overpayments that LAs identify during a particular period and the amount of overpayment that they recover in that period. Firstly, because overpayments are not necessarily identified in the same period that they occurred. Secondly, because overpayments are not necessarily recovered in the same period that they are identified

• the number of people claiming HB has been decreasing and will continue to fall as Universal Credit (UC) replaces HB for working age claimants

• the Fraud and Error Reduction Incentive Scheme (FERIS) provided LAs with tools to help them identify and prevent overpaid HB. Real-time information (RTI) on claimants鈥� income became available to LAs at around the same time (Q3 of FYE 2015). This allowed LAs to identify income that claimants had failed to report on their HB claims, which in turn led to an increase in the amount of overpaid HB that LAs were able to identify

• at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many LAs redeployed staff away from debt recovery to frontline activities and restricted face-to-face meetings between staff and claimants

• LAs sometimes identify an amount by which a HB claimant has been overpaid, but then revise this amount at a later date. In some cases, for instance, 鈥渦nderlying entitlement鈥� might be retrospectively applied to an overpayment, reducing the amount that the claimant was originally thought to owe. Conversely, an LA might retrospectively reverse their decision to write-off an overpayment. These revisions lead to a discrepancy between figures for one quarter and the next

The total amount of HB overpayment at the start of a quarter should, in theory, equal the total amount of overpayment at the start of the previous quarter, plus the amount of overpayment newly identified during the previous quarter, minus the amount of overpayment recovered and written-off during the previous quarter. However, this is not the case in all LAs. Nationally, the total amount of outstanding HB overpayment that LAs reported at the start of Q4 of FYE 2022 was 0.37% less than the figures reported in Q3 suggested it would be. This difference was a result of revisions made in Q4 to overpayments that LAs first identified in previous quarters. The background information and methodology document describes this issue in more detail.

Local authority mergers

There have recently been a number of local authority mergers. Four LAs in Buckinghamshire, for instance, merged to form a single LA. Although the LAs officially merged in 2020, their IT systems merged later. As a result, in Q4 of FYE 2022, there was an incomplete return for Buckinghamshire LA.

The way that figures are presented in the supplementary tables has changed since the last set of HBDR statistics were published in March 2022. The statistics shown are based on the current LA configuration, with figures for the 鈥渙ld鈥� LAs that merged to form the new LAs no longer shown. This is consistent with HB caseload figures published on .

Average HB overpayment identified per claimant per month

This summary includes a table showing the equivalent amount of overpaid HB, per claimant per month. This is calculated by dividing the total amount of overpaid HB identified by LAs in FYE 2022, by the sum of the HB caseload in each month of FYE 2022. Data on the number of HB claimants was taken from .

This is not an exact measure because, although LAs might report during a particular quarter that they had identified an amount of overpaid HB, this overpayment might have occurred in a previous quarter or financial year and the claimant whose HB was overpaid may no longer have been receiving HB when the overpayment was identified.

Rounding policy

Percentage figures presented in this document are rounded to the nearest 1%. In some cases, figures may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

In the supplementary tables, raw data provided by LAs have been added to generate regional and national totals, before being rounded to the nearest 拢1,000. As a result of this rounding, the sum of the LA figures shown in the tables may be slightly different to the regional and national totals.

Related statistics

These statistics show the amount of HB overpayment that is identified and subsequently recovered by LAs.听 DWP carry out a sampling exercise to estimate overall levels of fraud and error in HB, including overpayment not identified by LAs.听 According to the latest estimate, published in May 2022, there was approximately 拢860 million overpaid HB in FYE 2022.听 An estimated 拢540 million was overpaid due to fraud, 拢260 million due to claimant error and 拢70 million due to official error.

9. HBDR聽data: collection processes and accuracy

Data collection

The table below details the list of questions asked to聽LAs聽as part of the data collection process.

Field	Overpayment Questions
1	Total value of HB overpayments outstanding at the start of the quarter
2	Total value of HB overpayments identified during the quarter
3	Total value of HB overpayments recovered during the quarter
4	Total value of HB overpayments written off during the quarter

LAs are asked to provide a breakdown between overpaid 鈥淩ent Allowance鈥� (HB paid to LA tenants) and 鈥淩ent Rebate鈥� (HB paid to housing association and private sector tenants). Where this breakdown is available it is shown in the 鈥渟upplementary tables鈥�.

Average data return rates

Collection Period	Percentage of HB caseload covered by the HBDR returns
FYE 2009	74.0%
FYE 2010	96.5%
FYE 2011	96.3%
FYE 2012	97.9%
FYE 2013	98.7 %
FYE 2014	99.1%
FYE 2015	99.3%
FYE 2016	99.9%
FYE 2017	99.3%
FYE 2018	100.0%
FYE 2019	100.0%
FYE 2020	99.9%
FYE 2021	99.3%
FYE 2022	99.2%

10.听Further information

Our background information and methodology document provides further information on the HBDR聽statistics, including some of the processes involved in developing and releasing these statistics.

Data tables containing data that underpin the charts and figures featured in this statistical summary are also published.

National Statistics status

The UK Statistics Authority has designated these statistics as National Statistics, at June 2012, in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the聽.

National Statistics status means that our statistics meet the highest standards of:

• trustworthiness

• quality

• public value

Once statistics have been designated as National Statistics it is our responsibility to maintain compliance with these standards. In order to assess the quality of the HBDR statistics, in July 2021, LAs were sent a survey, asking them a number of questions about how they complete their returns. Information collected on this survey has been incorporated into the background information and methodology document.

Other National and Official Statistics

Details of other National and Official Statistics produced by the DWP:

• a schedule of statistical releases over the next 12 months and a list of the most recent releases

Feedback

厂辫别肠颈蹿颈肠听HBDR聽statistics feedback can be submitted via our聽HBDR聽user questionnaire

Completed questionnaires can be returned by email to聽cbm.stats@dwp.gov.uk

Users can also join the 鈥溾�� community. DWP announces items of interest to users via this forum, as well as replying to users鈥� questions

Lead Statistician: Owen Williams

cbm.stats@dwp.gov.uk

DWP Press Office: 020 3267 5144

ISBN: 978-1-78659-392-4