Fraud investigation

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 that 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.

Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit fraud

Working and claiming fraud usually involves claimants who are in receipt of Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit on the basis of entitlement to Job Seekers Allowance/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 of Work and Pensions.

Non-disclosure of property/capital

This fraud is where a claimant fails to declare either savings/capital or the ownership of another property/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/Job Seekers Allowance failing to declare the presence of a partner who is working, knowing or intending that this would affect their entitlement.

Non-declaration of non-dependants and/or sub-tenants

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

This is 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 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, they are committing a fraud.

False address fraud

This fraud may occur 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

This is where a landlord continues to receive benefit paid directly to him/her for a period after which he/she is 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.

There are many ways other ways in which landlords and managing agents can defraud the benefit system, particularly in areas where there is a large proportion of multiple occupation houses and there are many seasonal workers looking for short-term lets.

Housing benefit - overpayment

If you receive an overpayment of benefit, in most cases you will have to pay the money back.  Overpayments may occur when local authorities are not notified about a change of circumstances. Claimants, their appointees or agents, or landlords to whom a direct payment is being made, must report in writing to LAs all changes of circumstance they could reasonably be expected to know may affect entitlement to housing benefit or council tax benefit. Such people are known as a 'person affected'.

“Reg 75 HBGR Reg 3"

This could happen because you did not inform the council of a change in your circumstances, such as:

• your Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance ending,
• an increase in the earnings or private pension or other benefit award of you or anyone else in your home,
• someone joining your household,
• you fail to inform the council of capital or savings you have,
• you leaving the address for which Housing Benefit was being paid.

 

How you can help?

If you have something to report please contact us on: 0208 207 7428. Our Hotline is open 24 hours a day, out of working hours there is an answer phone for you to leave messages. Alternatively you can email your information to:  antifraud@Hertsmere.gov.uk. 

To assist us with our enquiries please try to give as much information as possible when you contact us. We need the names of the suspected fraudsters, addresses and details of what they are doing.

If you can also give descriptions of those involved, details of their vehicles that they have or use and an idea of their daily routine along with any other information you feel is relevant then we have a better chance of success.Ideally you will leave your name and contact details but you may remain anonymous if you prefer. We will not reply unless you wish us to and email addresses will be deleted to protect your anonymity.

Whenever possible, we will endeavour to prosecute fraudsters, recover public money and impose fines.

If someone is fraudulently claiming state benefits while working, you can report this via the Department for Work and Pensions website:  Targeting benefit fraud .