Oral evidenceSelect & Joint CommitteesMonday, 6 July 202615:00

Public Accounts Committee: The Work of the COVID Counter-Fraud Commissioner

Committee hears from witnesses

The Public Accounts Committee will examine the work of the COVID Counter-Fraud Commissioner, the independent body established to investigate and recover public funds lost to fraud during the pandemic. The hearing will scrutinise how effectively the Commissioner has identified, prosecuted, and clawed back money from those who exploited emergency business support schemes, emergency loans, and other Covid-related spending.

Billions of pounds were lost to fraud during the pandemic across grants, loans, and support payments. This scrutiny is nationally significant because it tests whether the government has recovered stolen public money and whether the enforcement architecture is robust enough to deter and catch future fraud. The findings will inform how effectively post-pandemic fraud recovery has worked and what lessons apply to future crisis spending.

Tax & Public Finances Crime & Policing

Committee mentioned:Public Accounts Committee