The profession will bring together 10,000 counter fraud specialists to help members of the public service develop their skills, knowledge and experience, the Cabinet Office has said today.
The government counter fraud profession will deliver new standards, guidance and tools to help build counter fraud capability, the department said.
Essential public services will be protected from fraud through the new profession and taxpayers’ money will no longer be diverted away from its intended target.
Minister for the constitution Chloe Smith said: “Our fight against fraud in the public sector is crucial in helping us build a fairer society.
“The launch of the government’s counter fraud profession is part of our smarter government initiative and will help make the UK a global leader in fraud prevention and detection.
“The profession shows the government’s continued determination to protect public services against attacks by a small group of unscrupulous people who break the law for their own personal gain.”
Sue Frith, interim chief executive of the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, said: “We are right behind this push to make the UK a global leader in the professionalisation of counter fraud work and have been delighted to share our expertise and help launch this vital initiative.”
The Cabinet Office said that since 2016 the National Fraud Initiative has saved the taxpayer more than £300m by preventing fraud and error in the public sector.
The Disclosure and Barring Service recently committed to cracking down on fraud through employment background checks.
