Benefit Fraud & Error 2014-15 to 2024-25

Summary

The request sought updated benefit fraud and error statistics for 2014-25 and data on written-off overpayments, but the Treasury could not provide written-off figures for 2014-16 due to missing records.

Key Facts

• The Treasury released some information in Appendix 1 but refused part of the request regarding written-off overpayments for 2014/15, 2015/16, and part of 2016/17.
• Records for written-off overpayments only began in December 2016, making earlier data unavailable.
• The written-off amount for 2017/18 is unusually high because it includes an accumulation of historic balances that could not be attributed to specific years.
• The request references previous FOI Request 3868909 and Tynwald Written Question W-202401-1071.
• The response was issued on 1 September 2025 following a request received on 4 August 2025.

Data Disclosed

• 2014-15
• 2015-16
• 2016-17
• 2017-18
• 2024-25
• 31 March 2025
• December 2016
• 4848277
• 3868909
• W-202401-1071

Exemptions Cited

• Section 11(3)(a), information not held

Original Request

Further to FOI Request 3868909 submitted 20th May 2024 and Tynwald Written Question W-202401-1071 (published 1st May 2024; answer published 17th May 2024) I seek the following information: That information published in response (Tables 1 and 2 to Appendix 1) to FOI Request 3868909 but with the apposite data for the financial year 2024-25; and The information recorded in Table 2 (Page 2) in the response to the Written Tynwald Question but updated to include data for the financial year 2024-25 and the overpayments outstanding in respect of earlier years (2014-15 to 2023-24 inclusive) updated to reflect the outstanding balance position as of 31 March 2025; and The total amounts of benefits a) obtained by deception/fraud and b) overpaid by error that have been written off for each of the overpayments in listed in Table 2 in response to the Tynwald Written Question for each of the financial years from 2014-15 to 2024-25 inclusive. If this cannot be broken down as requested the total amount written off relating to each financial year's total overpayments.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information
Seyrsnys Fysseree

The Treasury Government Office,
Douglas Isle of Man, IM1 3PU

Telephone: (01624) 685605 Email: FOI.Treasury@gov.im

Government Website: www.gov.im

Our ref: 4848277 1 September 2025

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 4 August 2025, which states:

"Further to FOI Request 3868909 submitted 20th May 2024 and Tynwald Written Question W-202401-1071 (published 1st May 2024; answer published 17th May 2024) I seek the following information:
(Numbering added by Treasury)

1. That information published in response (Tables 1 and 2 to Appendix 1) to FOI Request 3868909 but with the apposite data for the financial year 2024-25; and

2. The information recorded in Table 2 (Page 2) in the response to the Written Tynwald Question but updated to include data for the financial year 2024-25 and the overpayments outstanding in respect of earlier years (2014-15 to 2023-24 inclusive) updated to reflect the outstanding balance position as of 31 March 2025; and

3. The total amounts of benefits a) obtained by deception/fraud and b) overpaid by error that have been written off for each of the overpayments in listed in Table 2 in response to the Tynwald Written Question for each of the financial years from 2014-15 to 2024-25 inclusive. If this cannot be broken down as requested the total amount written off relating to each financial year's total overpayments."

Our response to you is as follows:

The information which is being released to you is attached in Appendix 1.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested. This relates to part 3 of your request and specifically the total amount of overpayments written off in the years 2014/15, 2015/16 and part of 2016/17. This is because the records held began in December 2016. Therefore, as previously advised, a practical refusal reason applies to this part of your request – Section 11(3)(a), information not held.

Also in relation to part 3 of your request, the information provided is the total amount of overpayments written off and has been included in the table for the second part of your request. Please note the amount of overpayment written off for 2017/18 is higher than other years because this includes an accumulation of historic balances which were written off in this financial year and from records held it is not possible to determine which year each overpayment relates to.

Please quote the reference number 4848277 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.