Housing benefit and council tax fraud

If you suspect someone is involved in -

• housing benefit
• council tax reduction

fraud you can report it.

You can report anonymously if you prefer not to give your details.

Fraud is when someone -

• works but doesn’t declare this when they make their claim
• claims as a single person but lives with a partner
• uses an address they do not live at
• fails to update us about a change of circumstance that may affect an existing claim
• does not tell us the full amount of -
  • income
  • savings
  • capital that they have when they claim

Report fraud

What happens next

We investigate all reports we receive and if it is proven, the individual may be subject to one or more of the following actions against them –

• a penalty charge based on the amount gained
• a formal caution
• prosecution through the courts

In all cases we recover the full amount that the individual has received fraudulently.