Fraud and error of £300,000 identified by Telford in report detailing threats to tax payer's cash

Fraud and error totalling nearly £300,000 was identified by Telford & Wrekin Council investigators last year, a report reads.

The council has a team of two officers who carry out investigations into fraud and theft, while also introducing preventative measures, providing training and writing policies and risk assessments.

A report to councillors recorded that the investigation team concluded 117 investigations in 2025/26 with 58 having a "positive outcome”.

Some 43 investigations have been carried into this financial year.

A meeting of Telford & Wrekin Council's audit committee will be told that it carried out its "first joint prosecution" with the Department for Work and Pensions.

It uncovered 'false claims' for in Universal Credit and council tax support amounting to more than £100,000, the report read.

Officials carried out a number of investigations into council tax single person discounts and support. This resulted in £89,000 worth of savings.

A person was prosecuted for “falsely claiming sick pay through an adult social care direct payment”.

The team also caught a council contractor who "submitted misleading information to obtain funds from the council”.

And a case involving the potential misuse of payments relating to adult social care has been passed to lawyers, the report read.

The annual corporate anti-fraud and corruption report also outlined some of the other preventative steps it takes to protect tax payers' cash.

It costs some £139,663 to run the investigation team but savings from prevention work "could never be quantified", the report read.

The team also made £225,000 of notional savings in national initiatives, the report read.

The council also blocked more than 30 rogue email address and 12 bank accounts associated with criminality. It also carried out more than 300 enquiries to assist the police battling fraud in the community.

During the last financial year some 3,771 malicious emails were reported to the council's technical teams with a “most sophisticated” 45 blocked.

Council officials said the threat of fraud and related offences against the authority continues to grow.

"Fraud is the most common form of criminality in the UK and public services are actively targeted," the report read.

"There is no financial safety net, and any financial loss will impact the council’s ability to provide services.

"Therefore, the council’s response cannot just be reactive."

It added that the main challenge "continues to be the financial constraints the authority is facing which challenges resource levels across the council."