Council Cracks Down on Benefit Fraud

Welwyn Hatfield Council continues to crack down on people committing benefit fraud in the borough.

In the last year, ten people have been prosecuted for benefit fraud, with another three subject to current proceedings. Sentences range from substantial fines, community punishment orders and suspended jail sentences. Anyone convicted of benefit fraud has a permanent criminal record and custodial sentences can also be imposed.

It is now easier than ever for the council’s benefits officers to pinpoint who is guilty of fraud, thanks to recent improvements to the Housing Benefit Matching Service (HBMS).

The HBMS is a centralised system. Every month council officers send them records of people in the borough who receive benefits. With access to a wide range of information, from revenue accounts to interest bearing accounts, the HBMS can crosscheck a person’s data and identify people with larger sums of money or assets than they stated on their benefit applications.

This year, through the HBMS, the council has discovered cases totalling £105,000 of fraudulent overpayment where the claimant's were found to have more than £16,000 in savings. To date £87,000 of those overpayments have been recovered.

Councillor Richard Smith, Executive Member for Resources, said: “The audacity of some of the people committing benefit fraud is staggering. These people are, as well as stealing from everyone who pays council tax in the borough, taking funds away from those in genuine need. We will not tolerate this and the improved data matching service is helping us catch more and more fraudsters.

“A frequent occurrence is that a recipient’s circumstances change and the person neglects to update us. We urge anyone claiming benefits to take a moment to check we have all your correct, current details. We are particularly keen to emphasise that anyone with more than £16,000 in total savings must declare this immediately.”

If anyone is in any doubt about their benefit claim please contact Welwyn Hatfield Housing Benefits Office on 01707 357000. If you suspect someone is defrauding the system please call Welwyn Hatfield’s confidential fraud hotline on 01707 357606.

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