Benefit fraud

If you think someone is committing benefit fraud you can report it online to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Follow the link to report benefit fraud online.

Housing benefit and council tax support is means tested. This means that we have to obtain specific information about people who wish to claim, so that their entitlement can be calculated correctly.

Fraud occurs when a person gets more housing benefit or excess council tax support than they are entitled to by knowingly, or dishonestly, withholding or falsifying information related to their claim. Benefit fraud can include:

• Undeclared income – if you do not tell us about money you or your partner have coming into your household, at any point during the time you are claiming, you are in breach of the terms you agree to when claiming housing benefit or council tax support. We need to know about all of your income – regardless of hours worked, amount earned or source of income. Please declare any change to your or your partner’s income to the benefits service as soon as possible.
• Undeclared capital – capital includes any accounts, savings, and investments you or your partner have, as well as any property you, or your partner, own, whether someone is living there or not. As with income all capital, investments and property should be declared at the start of any claim and during the claim if changes occur.
• Undeclared partner in your household – this can either be not telling us about a partner living in your household when you first make a claim, or if your partner moves into your household during your claim.
• Other types of housing benefit and council tax support fraud include: not living at the declared address, failing to declare a non-dependant and falsifying claim documents.

This is not a full list of fraudulent behaviour – all questions relating to your housing benefit and council tax support claim should be answered truthfully.