The Council has the duty by law to administer a benefits service to those within its area who qualify. We also have a responsibility to ensure that payments are made only to those who are actually entitled to receive them. For this reason we have our own Fraud section whose duties include detecting fraudulent claims, stopping and reducing payment in fraudulent cases and calculating overpayments of benefit on the discovery of the true facts.
Money lost to Benefit cheats is money that is supposed to be spent on you and on services provided by the Council. Benefit fraud is a criminal offence involving false claims for Benefits such as Housing Benefit and Income Support. It is a major part of organised crime today.
Reporting Suspected Benefit Fraud
If you are aware of anyone cheating the system please help in the detection of this crime by ringing to speak to trained Benefit investigators.
CONFIDENTIAL FREEPHONE FRAUD HOTLINE: 0800 515368
This is the Benefit Fraud Hotline and the service is free if you call from a landline. An answer machine is also available to take calls received out of office hours.
Alternatively, you can report an allegation of fraud to us directly by emailing Reportingfraud@angliarevenues.gov.uk
Please provide as much information as possible stating the individual’s name, address, and details of the allegation.
If would be helpful if you could also provide any other details that are relevant to the allegation, for example:
-
Individual’s description
-
Partner’s name
-
Employer’s name and address
-
Any associated vehicles
Types of Fraud
"Working and claiming" fraud
This usually involves claimants who are in receipt of Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit on the basis of entitlement to Job Seekers Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance or Income Support, but who are in fact working.
Any cases that arise in these circumstances will usually involve a joint investigation involving the Council and the Department for Work and Pensions.
Non-disclosure of property or capital
This fraud is where a claimant fails to declare either savings or capital or the ownership of another property or land elsewhere (for which they may be receiving rent).
Non-disclosure of income
This is where the claimant fails to declare all of their income, knowing or intending that non-declaration will increase their benefit award.
Non-disclosure of partner (living together as husband and wife)
This fraud usually involves a claimant on Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance or Job Seekers Allowance failing to declare the presence of a partner who is working, knowing that this would affect their entitlement.
Non-declaration of non-dependants or sub-tenants
A claimant is fraudulent if they fail to declare the presence of other adults living in the property, in order to preserve or increase entitlement to benefit.
Failing to declare change of address
Where a claimant fails to declare that he or she has moved, but continues to accept payments of Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit for their previous address, they are committing a fraud.
Fraudulent overpayments
An overpayment may be treated as fraudulent if the local authority can establish that, on the balance of probabilities, there has been either:
-
a breach of Section 111A or 112 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (false representations for obtaining benefit;); or
-
an offence is committed, contrary to The Theft Act 1968 or
-
an offence is committed contrary to The Fraud Act
Failure to notify a change of circumstances must have been carried out deliberately. There must be evidence of dishonest intent, not inadvertence, lack of understanding, or negligence on the part of the claimant.
