Authorised Officer, Covid Fraud Compliance & Investigation

Job summary

The Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) is responsible for holding departments and arms-length bodies to account for their handling of fraud in the public sector. The PSFA is at the centre of government and leads work across government and public bodies to improve the prevention, detection and recovery of fraud. It was launched on the 3rd August 2022 following an increased focus in government on tackling fraud. The PSFA is outcome and performance driven, offers a depth and breadth of fraud expertise and works jointly with HM Treasury. Working in the PSFA offers access to a wide range of stakeholders across government and the opportunity to work with various sectors in a high-profile policy area with high media, parliamentary and ministerial interest.

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.

Job description

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.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Experience in compliance and investigation, or in an equivalent discipline delivering service provision
• An organised and effective caseworker, able to deliver volume outcomes at pace to a high-quality standard.
• Willingness to take decisions, assess risks, make evidenced based judgements when things are not always clear, back themselves when deciding what course to take, and stand by those decisions.
• Good project management skills, able to manage information in an organised way to ensure it is always current.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Developing Self and Others

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,922, Cabinet Office contributes £10,986 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Application process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and a number of behavioural statements.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Your application will be sifted on the 500 word personal statement (aligned to the essential criteria in the person specification), a CV containing your job history, skills and experience and the behaviours – Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Working Together, Developing Self and Others.

If we get a large volume of applicants, we may do an initial sift on the lead behaviour, Managing a Quality Service.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Selection process

Interviews will be conducted remotely via Google Meet and selection will be conducted using the behaviours below.

• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Developing Self and Others

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – TBD

Expected interview date/s – TBD

Interview location - Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further information

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service / Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Ricky Reed-Killick
• Email : ricky.reed-killick1@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service by email at : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk. For further information on the Recruitment Principles and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.

Attachments

Cabinet Office Employee Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 302kB)Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External 2025-02-20 Opens in new window (docx, 83kB)