The Latest Breaking News from NAO

‘Festival of Brexit’ visitor numbers fall short of expectations

Number of visitors to £120m Unboxed project, under investigation by spending watchdog, well below 66 million aspiration

The Guardian - UK · Nov 22, 2022

Home Office’s ‘out-of-date’ grasp of fraud highlighted by watchdog

Government using six-year-old data while crime goes largely unchallenged, says National Audit Office

The Guardian - UK · Nov 15, 2022

Home Office ‘has no complete or up-to-date estimate of cost of fraud’ – watchdog

Fraud is the most commonly reported crime and made up 41% of offences in England and Wales in the year to June 2022.

The Independent UK · Nov 15, 2022

Married, divorced and widowed women over State Pension age could be due over £9,000 in backdated pay

The DWP now estimates it has underpaid 237,000 pensioners a total of £1.46 billion.

Daily Record · Oct 21, 2022

How Brexit nearly scuppered the ‘festival of Brexit’

Project hit by fall in labour supply and rise in costs, and investigation launched over low visitor numbers

The Guardian - UK · Oct 15, 2022

Covid: Up to £4.5billion of support scheme money lost to fraud, report states

‘While the figures are highly uncertain, large amounts of error and fraud are unlikely ever to be recovered,’ the report said

Evening Standard · Oct 13, 2022

Covid furlough scheme ‘lost billions of pounds to error and fraud’

Government insists compliance checks minimised fraud from start of scheme

The Independent UK · Oct 13, 2022

Covid furlough scheme lost billions of pounds to error and fraud, says watchdog

‘Billions went to people whose incomes increased during the pandemic, and billions more was lost in fraud and error,’ the National Audit Office said.

The Independent UK · Oct 13, 2022

Public spending watchdog to investigate £120m ‘festival of Brexit’

Festival’s design and execution ‘has been an unadulterated shambles,’ MP says

The Independent UK · Oct 11, 2022

Audit launched into £120 million 'Festival of Brexit' which 'cost £500 per visitor'

The National Audit Office (NAO) today announces it is investigating the Unboxed Festival, which was branded an "irresponsible use of public money" by MPs

Daily Mirror · Oct 11, 2022