This list is not exhaustive, but does give a guide to the types
of fraud that occur.
Working and Claiming
Working and claiming fraud usually involves claimants who are in
receipt of Housing Benefit / Council Tax Benefit on the basis of
entitlement to Job Seekers Allowance / Income Support, but who are
in fact working.
Any cases that arise in these circumstances will usually involve
a joint investigation involving the Council and the Department for
Work and Pensions.
Non-disclosure of capital / property
This fraud is where a claimant fails to declare either savings /
capital or the ownership of another property / land elsewhere.
Non-disclosure of income
This is where the claimant fails to declare all of their income,
knowing or intending that non-declaration will increase their
benefit award. (e.g. a private pension).
Non-disclosure of partner (living together as husband and
wife)
This involves a claimant failing to declare the presence of a
partner (who could be working), knowing or intending that this
would affect their entitlement.
Non-declaration of non-dependants and/or sub-tenants
It is fraudulent if a claimant fails to declare the presence of
other adults living in the property, in order to preserve or
increase entitlement to benefit.
False claims by homeowners
This is where the owner of a property falsely states that they
are paying rent to occupy what is in fact, their own property.
Change of address Non-residency
Where a claimant fails to declare that they have moved, but
continues to accept payments of Housing Benefit for their previous
address, they are committing a fraud.
False address fraud
This fraud may occur where a person is claiming for an address
at which he or she is not in fact living. This type of offence may
occur with the collusion of the landlord or other tenants.
Landlord fraud
This is where a landlord continues to receive benefit paid
directly to them for a period after which they are aware the
claimant vacated the premises. Where the landlord has access to
more than one property, there is the potential to move tenants
around without informing the Local Authority.
There are many ways other ways in which landlords and managing
agents can defraud the benefit system, particularly in areas where
there is a large proportion of multiple occupation houses and there
are many seasonal workers looking for short-term lets.