The Department for Work & Pensions’ total expenditure on benefits in 2017-18 was £177.5 billion, of which £155.1 billion was for benefits paid directly by the Department and £22.4 billion was for Housing Benefit paid on its behalf by local authorities.
The Comptroller and Auditor General has qualified his opinion on the regularity of the Department for Work and Pensions’ financial statements due to material levels of fraud and error in benefit expenditure.
Department for Work and Pensions annual report and accounts 2017-18
Audit certificate and report (pages 163-192)
