Authorised Officer, Covid Fraud Compliance & Investigation
| Dyddiad hysbysebu: | 16 Chwefror 2026 |
|---|---|
| Cyflog: | £37,922 i £41,992 bob blwyddyn |
| Oriau: | Llawn Amser |
| Dyddiad cau: | 01 Mawrth 2026 |
| Lleoliad: | Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
| Cwmni: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Math o swydd: | Parhaol |
| Cyfeirnod swydd: | 448828/2 |
Crynodeb
The Team
Enforcement and Intelligence is the PSFA team dedicated to taking action against fraud occurring in any central government department or public authority. We assess intelligence and disseminate it for action, develop cases, and undertake fraud investigations to the civil and criminal standards. We use Proceeds of Crime Act powers, and from April 2026 will have Police and Criminal Evidence Act search and production powers, Investigatory Powers Act telecoms data acquisition powers, and bespoke information gathering and civil penalty powers just legislated for in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error & Recovery) Act 2025 (“PAFER”). The team is expanding to deliver the Covid Fraud ‘hit squad’ announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in September 2025. This is an exciting time to join and lead something new in government, and make a real difference in the fight against fraud.
We are recruiting for up to 10 compliance investigators to form the initial ‘COVID Hit Squad’ announced by the Chancellor in September 2025. The team will expand to 20 in 2027-28. They will be trained as Authorised Officers to use information, penalty and recovery powers recently created in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 (“PAFER”).
Authorised Officers will take action to bring loan recipients back into compliance, investigate cases, recover fraud and error and penalise people who have committed COVID fraud against public authorities. Detected fraud is in the billions and recovery so far has been limited. PAFER has extended the time limit for COVID fraud to 12 years from the point the fraud was detected to allow action to be taken.
The successful candidates will form the initial team of Authorised Officers. Once the team is built, trained and authorised to use the powers, you will undertake casework against a range of Covid related fraud and non-compliance, focusing initially on Bounce Back Loans.
You will undertake compliance ‘nudge’ campaigns to bring loan recipients back into repayment compliance. Where fraud is suspected and repayment is not in evidence, you will investigate. This will primarily be desk-based investigation, and seek to establish the facts to ‘the balance of probabilities,’ but may also involve seeking prosecution in some cases, collaborating with Authorised Investigators in the wider PSFA investigation team to prove cases ‘beyond reasonable doubt’.
The successful candidates must be willing to use their judgment based on facts and evidence, to impose penalties and make information and debt orders under the PAFER powers. You will work with colleagues in debt management and recovery to ensure that funds are recovered, and with oversight colleagues to ensure that your use of powers can be reviewed in line with the requirements of PAFER.
The team may be based over more than one of PSFA’s locations and therefore the role may involve some UK travel. This is not a management role.
The successful candidates must be willing to undertake sufficient relevant investigation training and develop to become an Authorised Officer under the provisions of PAFER (to lawfully use the powers) and to join the Government Counter Fraud Profession.
This role offers considerable development opportunities in a very high-profile business area.
Responsibilities:
- Delivery compliance and investigation casework in an effective volume delivery operation. Plan case delivery to achieve outturn and outcome targets
- Deliver Covid compliance campaigns (e.g., letter/contact campaigns, publicity campaigns) in both pilot form and at scale, to drive populations back into compliance
- Undertake Covid fraud investigations with a view to imposing civil penalties for fraud under PAFER 2025 and in some cases, referring cases for further investigation for potential prosecution.
- Lawfully and effectively use information, penalty and debt powers, and be accountable for their use.
- Develop casework to establish claims for debt recovery in court where necessary, and for civil litigation in some instances.
- Ensure continuous professional development to complete and maintain relevant training sufficient to become Authorised Officers and join the Government Counter Fraud Profession. Training may include Level 4 Investigation Apprenticeships.
- Support the wider work of the team by providing expertise, testing new approaches, undertaking projects, and owning non-investigation deliverables for Enforcement & Intelligence
- The role will require occasional travel to PSFA locations. This may include overnight stays.
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