Reports of suspected fraud for the Scottish Child Payment: FOI release

Information requested

The number of reports of suspected fraud for Scottish Child Payment that Social Security Scotland has received since February 2021 to 27 August 2024, broken down by month and year.

Response

We have interpreted your request to mean allegations of fraud. Allegations do not automatically become fraud investigation cases as research and assessment is carried out prior to tasking to an investigator. Social Security Scotland does not decide when fraud has been committed; that is for the justice system. Therefore, we do not classify a behaviour as fraud until conviction (or the Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service has decided on a non-court disposal as an alternative to prosecution).

Allegations of fraud received for Scottish Child Payment covering 2022 to 27 August 2024
	2022	2023	2024
January	33	63	114
February	59	68	203
March	62	156	101
April	58	55	99
May	34	59	77
June	61	123	93
July	54	89	71
August	85	119	64
September	49	104
October	53	99
November	62	113
December	41	85
TOTAL	651	1133	822

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Social Security Scotland only holds the information you have requested from January 2022. Prior to January 2022 the information captured did not allow it to be broken down by benefit type.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Social Security Scotland does not have some of the information you have requested.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.