Wakefield Council launches investigation into £47k of suspected benefit fraud

The authority’s counter-fraud team has identified five potentially fraudulent claims over a nine-month period during joint investigations with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

Details of “recoverable overpayments”, discovered between April and December last year, are included in a report to the council’s audit committee.

The investigations identified overpayments of £22,102 of housing benefit, £11,755 of council tax support and £13,839 of DWP benefits.

Other work carried out by the counter-fraud team included a crackdown on the misuse of blue badge disabled parking passes during the current financial year.

The report said 27 investigations had so far been carried out into alleged offences linked to the misuse of badges, two of which are being processed for prosecution.

The council has also issued six warning letters and 12 formal cautions.

The document said officers are in the process of investigating an “historic allegation” relating to a suspected fraudulent Covid-19 business grant claim and have assisted a “neighbouring authority” in relation to a similar case.

The report said: “The ongoing implementation of the counter-fraud strategy, fraud risk assessment and robust counter-fraud policies will help to ensure the council minimises the amount of money that is lost to fraud and corruption and protect the public purse.

“Wakefield Council has a zero tolerance to fraud and corruption.

“Every £1 that a local authority loses to fraud is money that cannot be spent on supporting the community.

“Fraud and corruption are a drain on local authority resources and can lead to reputational damage.”