The SNP have been accused of “turning a blind eye to fraud”, after shock figures revealed their welfare quango reported just 29 fraudulent claims in two and a half years.
Figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives via freedom of information requests show that Social Security Scotland (SSS) reported just two cases of benefit fraud in 2023-24, 12 in 2024-25 and 15 so far in 2025-26.
This comes despite nearly two million payments being made by SSS in relation to Adult Disability Payment, Scottish Child Payment and the Funeral Support Payment in that time.
The UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) estimates that around 2% of benefit payments are made fraudulently. Applying this figure in Scotland would suggest that around 40,000 fraudulent payments were made since the start of 2023-24 – totalling an estimated £121 million.
Shadow social security secretary Alexander Stewart slammed the “pitiful” detection rate and accused SNP ministers of letting down hard-working Scots who are paying ever-rising taxes to fund an “unsustainable welfare bill”.
Scottish Conservative shadow social security secretary Alexander Stewart MSP said: “These pitiful figures tell us that the SNP are effectively turning a blind eye to benefit fraud.
“Hardworking Scots are facing ever-rising taxes to fund the Nationalists’ ballooning and unsustainable welfare bill.
“It’s a further kick in the teeth to them to learn that some of it is going to claimants who are cheating the system.
“The SNP’s quango should be pulling out all the stops to clamp down on benefit fraud. Its failure to do so is a complete dereliction of duty.
“The money which ministers are allowing to be squandered could – and should – be spent on cutting people’s bills or improving the frontline services which are in crisis after 18 years of SNP mismanagement.”
Notes to editors
Social Security Scotland have reported just 29 fraudulently claimed benefits since 2023-24. When asked about the number of reports made to police or the Crown Office about possible fraudulently claimed benefits, Social Security Scotland confirmed there were just two reports in 2023-24, 12 reports in 2024-25 and 15 reports so far in 2025-26. These reports of fraudulently claimed benefits relate to Adult Disability Payment, Scottish Child Payment and the Funeral Support Payment. (Social Security Scotland Freedom of Information Response¸ 27 November 2025, Attached).
This is despite nearly two million payments being made by Social Security Scotland in relation to these benefits in that time. At least 1,174,830 people were paid Adult Disability Payment, 612,925 people were paid Scottish Child Payment and 13,800 people were paid Funeral Support Payment in 2023-24, 2024-25 and so far in 2025-26. (Various Social Security Scotland Statistics, Accessed 4 December 2025, Available on request).
The Department for Work and Pensions estimates that around 2% of benefit payments are made fraudulently. Their annual report on fraud and error states that their latest estimate of benefits that were overpaid due to fraud was 2.2% in 2024-25. (Fraud and error in the benefit system, Financial Year Ending (FYE) 2025, 12 June 2025, link).
Applying this figure in Scotland would suggest that around 40,000 fraudulent payments have been made. As just over 1.8 million of these benefit payments have been made to people in Scotland the last two and a half years, a 2.2% rate of fraudulently claimed benefits would suggest around 40,000 instances have occurred in that time. (Various Social Security Scotland Statistics, Accessed 4 December 2025, Available on request).
Converting this into value, it suggests that £121 million has been fraudulently claimed in Scotland in the last two and a half years. Since 2023-24, just over £4.3 billion in Adult Disability Payments have been paid out, meaning approximately £96,131,704.68 was fraudulently claimed if using the DWP’s estimates. Around £1.1 billion in Scottish Child Payments have been made, equating to roughly £24,553,236 in fraudulent payments. Nearly £28.5 million in Funeral Support Payments have been made in the last two and a half years, amounting to £626,225.14 in fraudulent claims. (Various Social Security Scotland Statistics, Accessed 4 December 2025, Available on request).
This does not include payments for any other Social Security Scotland benefits – meaning this is an underestimate. Not a single report of fraud has been made to Police Scotland or the Crown Office regarding any of the other benefits administered by Social Security Scotland since 2023-24.
The DWP prosecute thousands of benefit fraudsters every single year. Data gathered by TaxWatch found that there were 86,000 prosecutions of benefit fraudsters between 2010 and 2021 – an average of just under 8,000 a year. (TaxWatchUK, 25 February 2021, link).