Benefit Fraud - Frequently Asked Questions
Why do you bother fighting benefit fraud?
We have a duty to safeguard public funds. We want to encourage
honesty and ensure customers are genuine and get their full
entitlement to benefit.
Isn't benefit fraud a 'victimless '
crime?
No. We are all victims of benefit fraud. Benefit cheats are
stealing money from every person in the United Kingdom.
What types of benefit fraud
are there?
There are many different types of fraud. A person
- could be working and not declaring it
- have more capital than they have delcared to us
- having an undeclared partner living with them
- could have lodgers/dependants living in their property
- may not have declared that they are related to their landlord
- may have contrived the tenancy to take advanatge of the benefits system
If I report a benefit fraud, will I see an
immediate result?
Because we have to make sure our facts are correct before we
take any action, investigations take some time to complete. The law
says we have to keep information about people's claims confidential
so we cannot give you progress reports on a possible fraud.
If I report a benefit fraud
to you, will I also need to report it to the Department for Work
and Pensions?
We work very closely with the Fraud Investigation Service at
the Department for Work and Pensions and we will investigate
benefit fraud jointly where appropriate. If you report a benefit
fraud to us and it appears that there will be an impact on a
person's entitlement to income support, jobseekers' allowance,
incapacity benefit etc then a joint investigation will be
commenced. If you report a benefit fraud to us and housing
benefit/council tax benefit are not affected then we will refer it
to the Department for Work and Pensions for them to
investigate.
How do you punish benefit
cheats?
All benefit cheats have to repay to money they have stolen. In
addition, we may give a formal caution that will be held on record
by the Department for Work and Pensions and us. We may also give
an administrative penalty. This is a fine that has to be
paid in addition to paying back the overpayment. In some cases, we
will prosecute. A benefit fraud prosecution could result in an
offender being sent to prison for 7 years.
How can I report someone I suspect of benefit
fraud?
You can report a benefit cheat on-line by filling in
our fraud referral form. If you prefer, you can report a
cheat by telephoning our fraud hotline on 01733 452250. You can
talk to a member of staff between 8.30am and 5.00pm Monday to
Friday. Outside these hours you can leave a message on our answer
phone. This service is confidential and you do not have to give
your name.