How to Report Fraud

Are you committing benefit fraud? 

If you receive benefit to which you are not entitled you may have to repay any amounts that are overpaid.  

To avoid an overpayment occurring you should tell the Council straight away about any changes in your circumstances. 

If you fail to tell us about anything that might affect your entitlement to benefit or make a false declaration on the application form you may be committing a benefit fraud, which is a criminal offence possibly resulting in prosecution. 

The Council uses various methods to investigate fraud.  For example, information can be matched against other council records, government agencies, employers or tax records and credit reference agencies.  

If a fraud has been committed it is likely that it will be discovered and action taken. 

How To Report Fraud 

If you think someone has made a dishonest claim for benefits you can contact the Council to tell us what you know. 

The more information that you can provide the better our investigation will be. 

Any information that you give will be treated in the strictest of confidence and you do not need to tell us your name. 

You can report suspected benefit fraud by either: 

• contacting the Council's Benefit Investigation Team on (01389) 738630, or 
• contacting the Local Authority Fraud Hotline on (free phone) 0800 3286340 Monday to Friday 8am to 11pm, or 
• completing our Fraud referral form online.