Public Sector

A cash-strapped council will spend up to £350,000 on an investigation into potential fraud in its housing department.

https://www.farnhamherald.com/news/council-probe-into-potential-housing-department-fraud-to-cost-taxpayers-ps350000-651772

Wakefield Council’s anti-fraud investigators have identified overpayments for housing benefits, council tax support and Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) claims.

A report says officers have been involved in 23 cases since April this year.

The Treasury and the Cabinet Office have refused MPs' request for intelligence on fraud and corruption across government to be published, saying it could lead to more fraud.

https://www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/government-refuses-to-publish-fraud-intelligence-arguing-it-could-show-how-attacks-could-be-executed

Jeremy Hunt said a total of 80 arrests have been made so far as he responded to concerns from Labour.

More than 50 criminal investigations have started into suspected fraud linked to Covid-19 support schemes, according to Jeremy Hunt.

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2023/11/14/chancellor-outlines-number-of-investigations-into-suspected-covid-19-fraud/

A hotel owner has been jailed for falsely claiming almost £140,000 from Government schemes to support businesses during Covid.

Shahid Naseeb Ahmed, 42, took advantage of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme and also the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme while running the Merchants Hotel in Back Piccadilly in the centre of Manchester.

Barnsley Council is supporting Fraud Awareness Week from Monday in a bid to minimise the impact the crime has on residents.

Fraud remains the most common type of crime experienced by victims in England and Wales, costing the UK billions of pounds every year and increasing year on year.

https://www.wearebarnsley.com/news/15975/council-supports-fight-against-fraud

Conditions of disclosure of information by HMRC and Cabinet Office for the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) Digital Economy Act (DEA) pilot.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-fraud-initiative-hmrc-and-local-authority-counter-fraud-pilot/data-usage-agreement-national-fraud-initiative-hmrc-and-local-authority-counter-fraud-pilot

The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) could be checking up on claimants bank and social media accounts as it attempts to crack down on benefit fraud.

Figures suggest billions of pounds could be wrongly claimed by 2027/

When he was jailed for two-and-a-half years in March Mohammed Ikram, a 36-year-old married man, claimed the scam was aimed at paying off debts he had run up operating a care home, but Deputy Circuit Judge Timothy Clayson said the majority of the offending was motivated by greed.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/former-yorkshire-councillor-jailed-eat-034500501.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr

A new task force has been assembled by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to help those who are missing out on benefits because of Universal Credit claimants. A total of 600 new staff have been recruited to fight fraud and errors in the system.

According to Civil Service World, the Swindon-based employees will be part of a team carrying out "targeted case reviews" of Universal Credit claims across the country. It is hoped by 2027 to 2028 that fraud across the benefits system will be drastically cut down, reports BirminghamLive.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/dwp-universal-credit-fraud-crackdown-as-5bn-is-stolen-in-false-claims/ar-AA1icU4d?ocid=socialshare