Background and Policy Objectives
3.The Act makes provision for Northern Ireland corresponding to provisions of the Social Security Fraud Act 2001 (c.11). It is estimated that on a UK-wide basis fraud in social security benefits costs the taxpayer at least £2 billion every year. The Act seeks to implement proposals on tackling benefit fraud.
4.There are four main elements in the Act:
	Obtaining and sharing informationintroduction of additional powers to obtain information from specified private and public sector organisations to tackle benefit fraud and error;changing the requirement on the Housing Executive to supply information to the Department or the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from one based in regulations to one based on directions.
	Loss of Benefit Provisionsintroduction of powers to reduce or withdraw specified benefits where an offender is convicted twice of benefit offences within a period of three years.
	Penalties as an alternative to Prosecutionintroduction of a new discretionary power which will allow the Department and the authorities administering HB to offer a financial administrative penalty to an employer as an alternative to prosecution;introduction of powers to facilitate closer working between the Department and the authorities administering HB in the operation of the administrative penalty system.
	Offencesclarification of the offence of failing to notify a change of circumstances.