WILTSHIRE Council has successfully taken action against 122 benefit cheats, uncovering a total of £1.3m of benefit overpayments due to fraud or error in the last year.
The council’s dedicated fraud investigation team, often working with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) on joint cases, uncovered £1m related to housing benefit, council tax benefit and exemptions alone in the 2012/2013 financial year.
Of the action taken against 122 benefit cheats, 47 of these cases were prosecutions (a 9.3% increase on last year). Sanction cases, where people go to court or receive a caution or administrative fine, identified £597,634.39 in housing benefits, council tax benefit and discounts as well as £170,418.34 DWP benefits. In all cases, the customer has to pay back the debt to the council as well as any fine or penalty imposed by the sanction or prosecution.
The most common type of fraud investigated is undeclared work, capital and income. Approximately a quarter of all cases investigated by the team are joint investigations, most often involving DWP but sometimes also including the police and other local authorities. The most reliable referral sources are through data matching, although information from the public is also highly valued. Every referral is assessed and dealt with accordingly.
Wiltshire Council is participating in the 2012/13 National Fraud Initiative (NFI). The initiative takes place every two years. It is a sophisticated data matching exercise run by the Audit Commission which matches electronic data within and between participating bodies to prevent and detect fraud. Initial sifting exercises and investigations are in progress.
The council is very keen to stamp out fraud and will take action against those found to be cheating the system.
If you have any information that can help catch a cheat, call Wiltshire Council’s confidential hotline on 01249 706256 or the National Fraud Hotline on 0800 854440.
Benefit fraud can also be reported on the council’s website www.wiltshire.gov. uk/benefitfraud. You do not have to give your name and you can be assured of complete confidentiality at all times.
