Department for Work and Pensions

The complainant has requested information on the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) machine learning Universal Credit anti-fraud models. DWP disclosed some information but withheld the remainder under section 31(1)(a), prevention or detection of crime. The Commissioner’s decision is that DWP is entitled to rely on section 31(1)(a) to withhold the remaining information. The Commissioner finds, however, that DWP breached section 10(1) by disclosing further information outside of the statutory timeframe. The Commissioner does not require DWP to take further steps.