Millions of people receiving benefits in the UK are being subjected to what researchers describe as "stressful" investigations by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), according to a study by the Administrative Fairness Lab. These investigations, known as Targeted Case Reviews, are used to recheck over one million Universal Credit payments each year. Claimants are often not given a clear reason for being selected, and they are required to provide supporting documents within 14 days. This can mean searching for records from years past, and if they fail to do so, they risk losing their benefits. The DWP claims the initiative is designed to save £13 billion by the end of the decade, but research shows that only 21% of these reviews find any incorrect payments. This suggests that hundreds of thousands of people are being reviewed unnecessarily. The Administrative Fairness Lab has called for changes to the system, especially as it plans to extend the reviews to low-income pensioners starting in 2026. Proposed reforms include limiting the number of reviews per person to once a year, providing clearer explanations for why a review is happening, and reducing the burden on claimants by limiting the scope of investigations. The DWP plans to extend the reviews to Pension Credit cases from 2026 to 2029, following the success of the Universal Credit campaign. This expansion is expected to save £370 million over the next four years, though an estimated 95,000 to 100,000 claimants may see their payments reduced. Pension Credit helps people over the age of 66 with low incomes, boosting weekly income to as much as £238 for single claimants or £363.25 for couples. Jed Meers, co-director of the Administrative Fairness Lab, noted that while most people reviewed are found to have been paid correctly, the process can be extremely stressful, involving tight deadlines and the risk of losing income. The expansion of these reviews follows the DWP gaining new powers in late 2025 to request financial information from banks. In the 2025/26 financial year, the DWP reported an overpayment rate of 3.2% of total benefit spending, amounting to £9.9 billion. A DWP spokesperson stated that the reviews help ensure people receive the correct support while protecting public funds. They emphasized that each request for evidence is considered individually and must be reasonable and proportionate.