Fraud

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Fraudulent claims take public money away from the people who really need it. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) estimates that each year benefit fraudsters cheat the rest of us out of £2 billion in stolen benefits. That's the equivalent of £80 from each family in the country.

Our aim is to pay out every penny of housing benefit and council tax benefit that people in Renfrewshire are entitled to.

Please help us to fight fraud by telling us if you think someone has made a dishonest claim for housing benefit or council tax benefit.

Some examples of benefit fraud include:

• People who work, but don't declare this when they submit their claim.
• People who claim as a single person, but actually live with a partner.
• People who claim from an address, but do not live there.
• People who do not declare when someone moves into the property (ie, children/family/friends etc).
• People who do not tell us the full amount of income, savings or capital they have when they make a claim for benefit or after their circumstances change.
• People who for any reason do not have the right to claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit.

The more information you can give us, the more successful our investigations will be. Any information you give will be treated in the strictest confidence – you don't even need to tell us your name.

How you can contact us:

Complete the online form (click on the link below) providing as much information as possible - again, you can do this anonymously if you prefer.

Report benefit fraud

• email: benefitinvestigations@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• phone: 0800 195 9845 (freephone)
• write to: Benefit Investigation Team, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley PA1 1AD

Call the national fraud hotline on 0800 854 440 between 7am and 11pm, seven days a week.

Text phone users can call 0800 328 0512.

You can find out more by visiting the Targeting Fraud pages on the DWP's website, or reading our Counter Fraud Policy and guide to fraud prevention leaflet available below.

Counter Fraud Policy (pdf - 104kb)

Fraud prevention leaflet (pdf - 217kb)

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