Cracking down on benefit fraud

We are introducing a new Benefit Fraud Bill to protect taxpayers’ money and bring tougher checks into Scotland’s benefits system.

The SNP’s light-touch approach has left Social Security Scotland without the powers it needs to properly recover overpayments and tackle fraud.

Our Benefit Fraud Bill will strengthen the system, make sure public money can be recovered when it has been wrongly paid out, and introduce tougher penalties for those who deliberately commit benefit fraud.

What we will do

Recover money that is owed
Give Social Security Scotland stronger powers to recover benefit overpayments, rather than relying on people agreeing to pay the money back voluntarily.

Toughen benefit checks
End the tick-box approach to planned benefit reviews and replace it with more robust checks, which could include face-to-face reviews.

Introduce tougher penalties for fraud
Double the maximum sentence for benefit fraud from five years to ten years and introduce a new statutory aggravator for benefit-related fraud.

Protecting taxpayers and supporting those who need help

Scotland needs a benefits system that supports people who genuinely need it while protecting taxpayers from fraud, error and waste.

We will make sure Social Security Scotland has the powers it needs to recover public money and carry out proper checks, so the system is fair to claimants and taxpayers alike.