Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

In a debate held on the DWP Risk Review Team in the House of Commons on 26 January 2022 (available here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/20...), Kate Osamor MP explained that the Risk Review Team’s role is to “review and take action on cases identified” by the integrated risk and intelligence service as being “a high fraud risk.”

On 18 February 2022, Kate Osamor MP submitted a written question to the Department for Work and Pensions regarding the number of Universal Credit claims that remain suspended under the Risk Review process as of February 2022 (available here: https://questions-statements.parliament....). The answer was provided by David Rutley MP, and stated that as of 17th February 2022, 174,000 claims have been suspended under the Risk Review Process, a percentage of 3.1%. Of the 174,000 claims suspended, the Risk Review Team have de-suspended 5,346 claims.

On 22 September 2022, Victoria Prentis MP provided an answer to a related question tabled by Kate Osamor MP on 7 September 2022 (available here: https://questions-statements.parliament....), stating that the cumulative total figure for claims suspended was 177,638, and that 7,221 cases had been reinstated.

In the response to a request for internal review of the Freedom of Information request FOI2022/40949 (available here: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...), the Department for Work and Pensions stated that “there are elements of automation within our processes to identify potential fraud and error. What that referred to are the automated processes DWP can deploy to identify risky claims (not individuals) to Universal Credit. If a claim is identified as risky through any of these processes it may be passed on to our Risk Review Team which can make further checks into that claim”.

Please provide the following information:

1. The full service and function description of the Risk Review Team
2. The remit of the Risk Review Team
3. The differences and similarities between the Risk Review Team and the Enhanced Checking Service
4. The process by which claims are referred to the Risk Review Team, including the name of the team(s) and/or automated digital system(s) that makes referrals (if applicable)
5. The name of the that automated system or model can refer cases to the Risk Review Team
6. Whether the integrated risk and intelligence service (IRIS) uses any automated system or model in identifying a high fraud risk?

In the event that you determine some of the information I have requested to be exempt from disclosure, please redact exempt information with black boxes, instead of snipping or excerpting, and please state which category of exemption you believe applies to the information.

If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the cost of compliance limit identified in s.12 FOIA, please prioritise information relating to the function and remit of the Risk Review Team, and the name of elements of automation used to refer claims to the Risk Review Team.

Yours faithfully,

Mr A Sehic