Benefit fraud accounts for approximately 96% of all fraud
experienced by local authorities, accounting for a national loss of
up to £4 billion a year.
Benefit fraud occurs where individuals provide false or
misleading information when they apply for benefit or fail to tell
us about changes in their lives that affect the benefit they
receive. Most people who claim benefit are honest but we are
determined to catch, and where appropriate, prosecute the dishonest
minority.
Where we have suspicions we will undertake a detailed
investigation into claims. We have powers to obtain information
from landlords, employers and banks and we will work with other
agencies such as the Department for Work and Pensions and the
police to help us catch fraudsters.
Typical types of benefit fraud
Working and claiming fraud - usually involves
claimants who are in receipt of Housing Benefit or Council Tax
Benefit on the basis of entitlement to Job Seekers Allowance or
Income Support, but who are in fact working. Or maybe, they have
not told us the true extent of their work or wages.
Non-disclosure of property or capital - where a
claimant fails to declare either savings/capital or the ownership
of another property/land elsewhere (for which they may be receiving
rent or may have recently sold).
Non-disclosure of income - where the claimant
fails to declare all of their income, knowing or intending that
non-declaration will increase their benefit award.
Non-disclosure of a partner (living together as husband
and wife or civil partners) - usually involves a claimant
on benefit who fails to declare the presence of a partner (whether
they are working or not), knowing or intending that this would
affect their entitlement. It is fraudulent if a claimant fails to
declare the presence of other adults living in the property, in
order to preserve or increase entitlement to benefit.
False claims by homeowners - where the owner of
a property falsely states that he or she is paying rent to occupy
what is, in fact, his or her own property, usually inventing a
fictitious landlord to do so.
Failing to declare a change of address - where
a claimant fails to declare that he/she has moved, but continues to
accept payments of Housing Benefit for their previous address.
False address fraud - where a person is
claiming for an address at which he or she is not in fact living.
This type of offence may occur with the collusion of the landlord
or other tenants.
Landlord fraud - where a landlord continues to
receive benefit paid directly to them for a period after which they
are aware that the claimant has vacated the premises. Where the
landlord has access to more than one property, there is the
potential to move tenants around without informing the local
authority.
Help us stop people claiming illegally
If you know that someone is claiming benefit, which they may not
be entitled to get, please tell us. You don't have to tell us your
name but it helps if you do. Any information you give will
be treated in the strictest confidence.
Please provide as much information as you can about the person
(and any partner) and why you think they are committing benefit
fraud. The more information you provide, the better we will be able
to investigate.
Follow this link for information about the Council's
policies
and strategies to prevent theft, fraud and corruption.
Back to the
Housing and Council Tax Benefit introduction
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