Benefit fraud
It is estimated that Benefit Fraud costs every household about £80 per year. It is not a victimless crime!
- DBC is committed to the delivery of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit to all those with entitlement. Where it is proven that someone has deliberately attempted to obtain benefits to which they are not entitled, the Council will, dependant on the circumstances of the individual, take further action by way of a Caution, Administrative Penalty or ultimately Prosecution.
When claimants apply for Housing /Council Tax Benefits they sign a declaration to say that they will notify the Council if their circumstances change in any way, for example, if they have an increase in earnings, or someone moves in or out of their household. Failure to report changes to the Benefits Section promptly is an offence and could result in incorrect amounts of benefit being paid, causing overpayments which have to be repaid.
Dartford Borough Council is committed to detecting fraudulent claims and participates in regular data-matching exercises with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Audit Commission.
If you suspect someone may be claiming benefits that they are not entitled to, you should notify the Council’s Fraud Team immediately. All referrals are followed up by our team of investigators. You can do this by
- completing an on-line fraud referral
- telephoning the 24 hour free-phone Hotline on 0800 634 3245. An answerphone is left on during out of office hours. Please note that from the 24 December 2006 there will be a new Hotline number: 0800 496 3245
- Sending an email to Fraud.Team@dartford.gov.uk
You can remain anonymous – we just need the names and addresses of people you suspect of fraudulently claiming, along with any other details you can provide about the suspected fraud.
Examples of fraudulent claims are listed below:
- Failing to declare income/earnings
- Failing to declare partners or non-dependants living in household
- Failing to declare private pension / savings/ bank accounts
- Contrived tenancy (set up to take advantage of benefit system)
- Failing to promptly declare a change of income (e.g. other DWP benefit)
