Benefit Fraud in Carmarthenshire,

HUNDREDS of people in Carmarthenshire have been caught for benefit fraud with over £1.8million being recovered.

Between April 2011 and April 2015, the council sanctioned 238 people responsible for benefit fraud offences.

The sanctions consisted of 160 formal cautions, nine financial penalties and 69 successful court convictions.

During the same period, as a result of investigations, the council’s fraud team identified recoverable overpayments of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit amounting to over £1.8 million.

Executive Board Member for Resources Cllr David Jenkins said: “As a council, we are committed to preventing, detecting and investigating fraud.

“This includes council tax reduction, council tax discounts and exemptions, housing tenancy and business rates evasion.

“We will take all appropriate action to investigate fraud perpetrated against the council, including prosecution where necessary and we will pursue recovery of losses and the suitable punishment of those responsible for fraud.

“The £1.8million we expect to recover equates to 2.5% on council tax.”

Cllr Jenkins said that fraud was not a victimless crime, it costed the country billions of pounds and increased the amount of income tax and council tax paid, along with affecting the amount of money available to spend on public services such as education, housing, social care and transport.

Penalties for fraud can range from a warning to suspended sentences, community services, fines or prison sentences.

To report someone suspected of committing housing benefit fraud visit www.gov.uk/benefit-fraud or call the National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 854 440.

To report housing tenancy, council tax or business rates fraud visit www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/residents/benefits/benefit-fraud/ email fraud@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or call 01554 742129.

Examples of frauds that can be reported to Carmarthenshire County Council

• Housing Tenancy fraud
• Making profits from unlawful subletting –  this is where the legitimate tenant moves out and charges a higher rent, thus making a profit.
• Not their principal home – this is where someone has a council property they do not live in all the time.  They may stay elsewhere or with a partner.
• Fraudulent applications for council housing, right-to-buy, mutual exchanges, assignments of tenancies – sometimes people manage to get a council property by giving false information when making their application.
• Wrongly claimed succession – this is where someone tries to succeed a tenant after the tenant’s death when they are not eligible.  This usually involves claiming to have lived with the deceased tenant before their death, when in fact they lived elsewhere.

• Council Tax Single person discount

This can be a Council Tax payer who is receiving a 25% discount on their Council Tax but who is not living alone and the person living with them is not disregarded (certain people are not counted, such as those under 18 years of age and full time students)