Urgent DWP warning for State Pension and Universal Credit recipients

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has released an urgent warning across its social media channels, urging millions of benefit recipients to be vigilant against scam text messages. The scammers are aiming to obtain personal or financial details from unsuspecting individuals.

On both Twitter and Facebook, the DWP cautioned: "Be aware of scam text messages claiming to be from @dwpgovuk. Always be careful about links and never share personal or financial details, only engage with trusted official sources."

The warning goes out to recipients of benefits, including those on State Pension, Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Attendance Allowance or Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA),They advised anyone who gets a suspect message to report it at GOV. UK by searching 'avoid and report internet scams and phishing'.

These online criminals could be exploiting the ongoing cost of living crisis and the approach of Christmas, posing as legitimate government entities in what's called 'impersonation scams'. The department highlighted that previously seen scam texts about 'unclaimed cost of living payments' and the Warm Home Discount include 'direct links' to submit a claim, a method not used by the DWP.

Typically, Universal Credit claimants will be contacted by their Work Coach via their online journal, reports the Daily Record.

If you receive a text and you're uncertain if it's genuinely from a DWP department or HM Revenue and Customs, the safest course of action is to call them directly for confirmation. This new scam text message alert from the DWP follows another warning issued last month to users of its online services at GOV.UK.

The DWP reminded both new and existing claimants that it "does not publish any applications for download to your mobile devices or PCs" in an attempt to prevent individuals from being duped into sharing their personal and financial information with online fraudsters.