The Department for Work and Pensions has launched an urgent internal review amid growing concerns that hundreds of benefit claimants may have been wrongly prosecuted using flawed computer evidence, in a scandal bearing alarming similarities to the Post Office Horizon affair.
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride confirmed the investigation in parliament, revealing his department is examining whether defective IT systems were used as evidence in criminal cases against benefit recipients.
The review comes after mounting pressure from MPs and campaigners who fear the DWP may have pursued wrongful convictions using unreliable digital evidence, potentially affecting vulnerable individuals across the UK.
Echoes of Post Office Injustice
This development follows the horrific miscarriage of justice that saw over 900 sub-postmasters prosecuted based on faulty evidence from the Horizon accounting system. The government has been forced to address whether similar injustices occurred within the benefits system.
Labour's Debbie Abrahams raised the urgent question in the Commons, demanding to know what assessment the DWP has made regarding potential wrongful prosecutions using computer evidence.
Minister's Response and Review Scope
Mr Stride told MPs: "I have asked officials to look into this matter... to satisfy myself that the convictions that have taken place are safe". He emphasized his department would act immediately if any evidence of miscarriages of justice emerged.
The minister confirmed the review would examine prosecutions where computer evidence played a significant role, though he noted the DWP conducts relatively few prosecutions compared to other departments.
Campaigners' Concerns
Campaign groups have long warned about the potential for errors in benefit fraud investigations, particularly when relying heavily on digital systems. The emerging parallels with the Post Office scandal have intensified these concerns.
The government faces increasing pressure to ensure no individual suffers the same devastating consequences experienced by wrongly accused sub-postmasters, many of whom faced financial ruin and personal trauma.
As this review unfolds, many will be watching closely to see whether Britain faces another major miscarriage of justice scandal involving flawed government technology and its devastating human impact.
