To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps she has taken to help ensure efficient and clear communication between her Department and the Child Maintenance Service on benefit fraud claims and investigations.

As an integral part of DWP, Child Maintenance Service (CMS) caseworkers are all required to complete annual training to identify and tackle fraud. This includes a requirement for CMS caseworkers to report allegations of benefit fraud to their Counter Fraud and Compliance Directorate (CFCD) colleagues via a desktop application. In addition to the compulsory CMS training, the Financial Investigation Unit have included the requirement to report benefit fraud via the IT interface as part of the annual training to caseworkers. This is to be delivered to all Child Maintenance caseworkers as part of the CMG’s Fraud and Financial Correctness Strategy for 2022-2023.