Revenues and Benefits:
REPORTING BENEFIT FRAUD
It is estimated that every year benefit cheats cost around £0.9 billion in stolen benefits, this is money that could be spent on improving services for people in real need and it's your taxes that are paying for their luxuries.
Fraudsters cost your Council money each year in fraudulently claimed Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council is determined to stamp out fraud and has a dedicated Benefit Counter Fraud Team committed to preventing, detecting and eradicating Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit fraud. All investigations are carried out with integrity and in a professional manner by trained staff.
Benefit fraud is a criminal offence and if we think someone is fraudulently claiming benefit we will investigate the claimant's circumstances. In certain situations, for example where we suspect third party collusion, we may also investigate the landlord and/or employer.
If we have evidence that someone is committing benefit fraud we may prosecute the offender or apply a formal caution or a penalty as an alternative to prosecution. In any event we would be looking to recover the total amount of benefit overpaid.
How you can help us in our fight against benefit crime?
Benefit fraud is not a victimless crime and affects all of us.
You may be committing a crime and may be prosecuted if you help people to lie to us.
SAY NO
If someone asks you to sign a tenancy agreement to say they are charged more rent than they are paying
SAY NO
If someone asks you to sign a letter stating that you are charging them rent when you are not
SAY NO
If someone asks you to sign a form to say they earn less than you are paying them
SAY NO
If someone asks you to lie for them in anyway
IF YOU SUSPECT SOMEONE IS COMMITTING BENEFIT FRAUD:
Call us in confidence on the Council’s Benefit Fraud Hotline on O800 1954747, which is a 24-hour free phone service or Call the National Shared Fraud Hotline on 0800 328 6340 or Textphone 0800 328 6341 or e-mail us on benefit.fraud@berwick.gov.uk
or report your suspicions by completing and posting back the request for a benefit investigation form by clicking on the link below
or report your suspicions in writing too:
Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council,
Counter Fraud Investigation Section,
Council Offices,
Wallace Green,
Berwick-upon-Tweed.
TD15 1ED.
or
PO Box No. 647
Preston
PR1 1WA.
Information that you provide is extremely important to us and it is always helpful to the investigator if you can provide as much information as possible, the more detail received the more likely the investigation will have a successful outcome.
All information received is treated in the strictest confidence, but if you wish to give us your name and address you can do so. Please state whether or not you would like to be contacted for further information.
Click here for our fraud prosecution policy
Click here for our anti-fraud policy
Request for Benefit investigation
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