With help from the public, the council has recovered nearly £800,000 over the past five years following fraud-related investigations.
These investigations cover various types of wrongful claims for public funding for example:
- Claiming single-person discount on council tax if you do not live on your own. This can sometimes happen for example if someone’s circumstances change and they are no longer living alone, but do not update their records.
- Providing false information to claim other council tax, second homes, or business rates, discounts
- Providing false information to be eligible for blue badges.
If taken to court, false claims can be ruled to be criminal offences liable to prison sentences or community service.
Councillor Gary Mulvaney, Vice- Chair of the council’s Audit and Scrutiny Committee said:
“Anti-fraud action is all about protecting funding for people who really need it, and for council services that everyone uses. These are difficult times for the budgets of individual households and for council services. It’s important that public funding goes where it’s meant to go, to deliver most benefit.”
To find out more about reporting suspected council-related fraud, please see the website: www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/form/fraud-reporting-form
You will also find information there about who to report suspected benefit fraud to.