COUNCIL TEAM THWARTS ALMOST £1M OF FRAUDS
Investigators uncovered 86 cases over six month period
COUNCIL investigators uncovered attempts to defraud the taxpayer of nearly £1 million during the first half of this financial year.
Stoke-on-trent City Council’s corporate fraud team investigated 86 cases between April and September, with a combined value of £992,701.
The most common type of fraud involved the single person discount for council tax, which allows people to get 25 per cent off their tax bill if they live alone.
Fifty-two cases of tenants fraudulently claiming the discount were uncovered over the sixmonth period, totalling £32,476.
But housing tenancy fraud, which can involve providing false information to secure a tenancy, or subletting the home to people not allowed to live there, accounted for the most serious fraud in terms of potential loss to the taxpayer.
The team was involved in securing five tenancy terminations, preventing total losses estimated at £465,000.
Two cases involving covid business grants were also investigated, with one £10,000 grant being recovered after being wrongfully claimed, and another wrongful award being prevented.
Over the same six-month period last year, the team investigated 88 cases worth £1,045,732.
This year the team also issued five cautions for misuse of Blue Badges, while investigations into council staff resulted in one resignation and two written warnings.
Members of the council’s audit committee will discuss the corporate fraud team’s work over the first half of the year when they meet on Wednesday. The report to committee states: “Stoke-on-trent City Council is responsible for the administration of substantial amounts of public funds, so like all local authorities, is likely to be a target for fraudsters. “Therefore, at a time when local government finances are hard pressed, it is vital to maintain robust policies and procedures to safeguard the council’s integrity against potential fraud and to seize every opportunity to tackle fraudulent activity directed against the council.”