Renfrewshire Council

Each pound lost to fraud represents a loss to the public purse and reduces the ability of local government bodies to provide services to people who need them. Fraud is never a victimless crime.

The Audit Commission's 2014 report 'Protecting the Public Purse' stated that: The scale of fraud against local government is large, but difficult to quantify with precision. In 2013, the National Fraud Authority estimated that fraud cost local government £2.1 billion, but this is probably an underestimate.

Our aim is to adopt a corporate approach to fighting fraud, thereby protecting the public purse from fraud.

What fraud is

Some examples of fraud include:

1. People who work, but don't declare this when they submit their claim/application.
2. People who claim/apply as a single person, but actually live with someone else
3. People who claim/apply from an address, but do not live there.
4. People who do not declare when someone moves into the property (ie, children/family/friends etc).
5. People who do not tell us the full amount of income, savings or capital they have when they make a claim/application or after their circumstances change.
6. People who for any reason do not have the right to claim
7. People who provide false information in order to achieve financial or personal gain
8. People who misuse council property, such as Blue Badges
9. People who sub let council properties

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.

Housing Benefit Fraud

Housing Benefit Fraud is no longer investigated by Renfrewshire Council, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) now investigate Housing Benefit Fraud.

If you wish to report Housing Benefit Fraud, the DWP can be contacted as follows:

Phone: DWP National Benefit Fraud helpline 0800 854 4400 (textphone 0800 320 0512).

Write to: NBFH, PO Box 224, Preston PR1 1GP