During this period, the Councils Corporate Fraud Team received 182 referrals, all of which were accepted, with the vast majority progressed as investigations to varying degrees and outcomes. These referrals originated from a variety of sources including members of the public, internal Council departments, other Local Authorities, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Home Office, other Government agencies and Police Scotland and related to varying allegations falling within the Fraud umbrella.
As a result of the diligent work undertaken associated to some of these investigations, £104,000 in Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction was identified as having been fraudulently obtained by persons who had no legitimate or valid claim to such monetary entitlements, with methods in place in which to recover these monies.
In addition, approximately £26,000 in Single Persons Discount was identified as having been fraudulently claimed for, with the associated claims being duly cancelled.
Working jointly with the Councils Housing operations, further investigations initiated and undertaken by the Corporate Fraud Team resulted in the successful recovery of 6 Council owned properties from persons identified as not occupying these properties as their main and principal home and thereby preventing and inhibiting such properties from being made available and offered to others in genuine need of re-housing.
By way of further investigative work undertaken by the Corporate Fraud Team, £470,000 of Fraud was identified and prevented going forward in the form of notional savings using a formula provided by Audit Scotland. Such preventative work is an important aspect of the work of this department and is seen as an integral component in tackling Fraud at the front end.
During this period, further action was taken by the Corporate Fraud Team against one individual who was reported to the Procurator Fiscal, the case of which was associated to undeclared self-employment whilst in receipt of benefits, which resulted in a guilty conviction.
