Maidenhead & Windsor

Nearly £460,000 of fraudulent benefit payments have been discovered over the past year thanks to the Maidenhead Royal Borough’s benefit fraud team and residents who helped stop the fraudsters from ‘cheating council taxpayers’ by providing helpful information.

A total of 304 investigations into alleged housing and Maidenhead council tax benefit frauds were completed during the year, resulting in seven prosecutions, seven cautions and 23 fines. In addition, the team stopped a number of fraudulent claims before they were actually paid.

Measures have already been put in place to recover overpayments.

Almost 25% of the Maidenhead cases investigated by the team came from referrals from the public, and the remainder from the matching of computerised information with other government agencies such as HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Pensions Service, as well as those referred to the team by the council’s own benefit staff who process the benefit claims.

Examples of the prosecutions include:

· One person received maintenance payments which they did not declare. Following an anonymous phone call, investigations showed they had received a total of £7,000 in overpayments. The person pleaded guilty in court, received a 12-month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £100 costs plus the overpayment.

· A data-matching exercise suggested one person’s circumstances may have changed. An investigation showed they had previously married and failed to declare it to the borough. The person pleaded guilty, received a 12-month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £100 costs plus the £7,100 overpayment.

· Anonymous information from the public suggested one person’s partner had moved into the household shortly after the birth of their child and this was confirmed following enquiries. The householder pleaded guilty to failing to disclose the change in circumstances, received a two-year conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £100 costs plus the £4,100 overpayment.

Catherine Hickman, Maidenhead Royal Borough head of audit and review, said: “This has been a particularly successful year for our team and the benefit team. I would like to congratulate them on their excellent performance, and to thank those members of the public who have assisted in uncovering fraud.

“As it is in effect each and every council taxpayer who is being cheated, I would appeal to any resident who is aware of benefit fraud to inform us. Together we can fight fraud.”

Tricia Jones, Maidenhead housing benefit manager, said: “We have started the recovery of these debts and will ensure a firm line is taken in recovering fraudulently overpaid benefit.”

The benefit fraud team has also introduced new practices, procedures and policies to ensure continued best practice. Plans are in place to enable them to continue building on this level of performance, giving best value to the Maidenhead authority and its residents.

Anyone who has information on suspected benefit fraud, such as benefit recipients failing to tell the council about a partner living with them, employment, additional pensions or benefits, money in the bank or property ownership, is asked to contact the Royal Borough’s Beat the Cheat hotline on 0500 353300.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead