Have a question?
033 3772 0409

Legal News

Reading Council investigators uncover £500m-worth of benefit fraud (30 April 2014)

Date: 30/04/2014
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Reading Council investigators uncover £500m-worth of benefit fraud

Reading Borough Council’s benefit fraud investigators have uncovered £500 million of welfare overpayments resulting from benefit fraud.

Local publisher Get Reading reports that officers from the council’s benefit fraud investigation team worked on 533 cases of alleged Council Tax fraud and housing benefit fraud between 1 April 2013 and March 2014 – and uncovered 75 cases in which claimants had been overpaid to the tune of £556,693.

In 2013, benefit fraud in Reading resulted in 20 prosecutions, 31 sanctions, 10 fines and one caution.

Sanctions against benefit claimants who commit fraud can involve prosecution, an official caution or a fine – officially called an administrative penalty.

The total amount of fraud involved in the 31 cases of claimants being sanctioned was £282,200. Reading Council’s benefit fraud team is still investigating 133 cases.

The investigators also worked on 33 cases of suspected housing and tenancy fraud last year.

Reading Council has recovered four properties involved in tenancy fraud and investigations have led to legal action being taken by the council regarding a further three fraudulent tenancies.

A total of six suspected cases of tenancy fraud from social landlords were referred to benefit fraud investigators and out of these, two properties were recovered and one is awaiting legal action.

The recovery of the properties has meant families being accommodated in temporary housing have been re-housed in permanent homes, at an estimated saving of £108,000. Temporary accommodation can cost local authorities around £18,000 per family annually.

Benefit fraud investigators are now verifying all new social housing tenants, with 490 already verified and a further 11 still waiting to be verified.

The process of verification has resulted in one tenant receiving a fine for housing benefit violations, while another is facing a trial at Reading Magistrates’ Court.

Reading Council’s legal team is considering sanctions for a further three cases of benefit fraud.

The council’s benefit fraud investigators are also checking the identity of the occupants of 270 council properties – and have also looked into 51 referrals under the disabled parking Blue Badge scheme, resulting in sanctions against six badge holders, with two badges having been confiscated for fraudulent use. A total of four cases of fraudulent use of a Blue Badge were referred to Reading Council’s legal team and a further three cases are ongoing.

As the May European Parliament elections approach, Reading Council’s investigators are also currently looking into electoral fraud and fraud linked to postal voting.

Duncan Lewis Fraud Solicitors

Duncan Lewis fraud solicitors can advise at any stage of a fraud charge, including:

• Benefit fraud
• Blue Badge fraud
• Boiler room scams
• Company fraud
• Electoral fraud
• Financial fraud
• Identity fraud
• Mortgage fraud
• Serious fraud
• Tax fraud
• Tenancy fraud
• VAT fraud
• Visa fraud.

Duncan Lewis fraud lawyers are available 24/7, 365 days a year and regularly visit police stations, courts and prisons.

For expert legal advice on fraud charges, contact Duncan Lewis Fraud Lawyers on 020 7923 4020 – or contact the Duncan Lewis Crime Lawyers Out-of-Hours Hotline on 07920 077057.

Call us now on 033 3772 0409 or click here to send online enquiry.
Duncan Lewis is the trading name of Duncan Lewis (Solicitors) Limited. Registered Office is Spencer House, 29 Grove Hill Road, Harrow, HA1 3BN. Company Reg. No. 3718422. VAT Reg. No. 718729013. A list of the company's Directors is displayed at the registered offices address. Authorised and Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority . Offices all across London and in major cities in the UK. ©Duncan Lewis >>Legal Disclaimer, Copyright & Privacy Policy. Duncan Lewis do not accept service by email.