£233,000 recovered in Telford benefit fraud cases

Investigators have claimed back the cash following 24 prosecutions of residents who were claiming too much housing benefit or council tax benefit.

The council also managed to reclaim £132,002.17 following 32 convictions of people who incorrectly claimed discounts on council tax or council tax support. Those people were also hit with penalties which totalled £2,240.

Shropshire Council was unable to release figures but said it takes benefit fraud seriously.

In a report to be heard by Telford & Wrekin Council's audit committee tomorrow it is also revealed that the authority received 14 anonymous letters and 176 anonymous telephone calls to tip them off about people who were fraudulently claiming benefits.

This was on top of referrals from the police, Department of Work and Pensions and other agencies, which amounted to 1,142 referrals.

In 2015/16, the council's investigations team closed 341 cases, 145 of which were positive – where benefits were affected in some way – and from these 31 cases received a formal sanction.

A total of 24 people were prosecuted and seven faced administrative penalties, which saw £2,491.37 through these penalties. There are also a further 14 cases where the outcome of the case is not yet known.

Overpayments of benefits in these cases totalled £233,474.18, with fines of £100 also handed out to fraudsters and court costs totalling £4,434.30, split between the council and the Department of Work and Pensions.

Chris Kowalik, spokesman for Telford & Wrekin Council, said: "Benefit fraud work is now carried out by the Single Fraud Investigation Service (DWP), whom we work closely with.

"During 2015/16, the council's fraud team has focused on council tax related fraud and business rate fraud. The council has a moral responsibility to ensure that any overpaid benefit claims are ended as soon as possible."

Phil Weir, Shropshire Council's revenues and benefits service manager, said: "As well as sending all claimant change of circumstances forms each year with the annual entitlement notifications, the council takes part in a number of initiatives to ensure accuracy in benefit assessments.

"We have also signed up to the Fraud and Error Reduction Scheme since November 2014, and as part of this we are targeting high risk areas to identify benefit fraud and ensure benefit calculations are correct."

Anyone who suspects that a benefit fraud is being committed can call the National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 854 440.