 Ofcom published its findings on 30 June, and concluded that Channel 4 had not breached broadcasting regulations. The watchdog looked at a number of issues raised by viewers, including concerns that rules governing child welfare had been broken, and that the programme featured "certain criminal techniques". However, Ofcom concluded that Benefits Street had reflected the real lives of the children taking part, and Channel 4 had taken care to limit the amount of time they were seen on screen. Of the concerns about criminal activity, the watchdog said it was "satisfied that certain essential details were not broadcast which may have enabled the successful commission of a crime, and that there was a sufficient editorial justification for including the material broadcast." The regulator also concluded that the programme had been fair in its portrayal of its participants because it was an observational documentary, and that almost 900 complaints about the "negative and offensive portrayal" needed no further investigation.
