Hartlepool Borough Council crackdown on council tax and benefit fraud saves £500,000
A major fraud crackdown by council chiefs has now clawed back more than half-a-million pounds.
Hartlepool Borough Council has been focusing on false and incorrect claims for Single Person Discount (SPD) – the 25% reduction in council tax available where only one adult lives at a property – as well as a host of housing benefit and universal credit claims.
Since SPD investigations began in April 2024, the number of discounts paid out has fallen by 944.
The properties involved span council tax bands A to G with at least £402,000 saved.
The council’s expanded anti-fraud team has also reduced the amount paid out in respect of other council tax reductions and housing benefit by £140,000 a year in the last four months alone.
Councillor Graham Harrison, who is standing down as Reform UK’s leader of the council, said: “We are committed to ensuring that everyone who is entitled to financial support receives it and we actively encourage residents to claim all the benefits and discounts they are legitimately entitled to.
“We understand that some claims can be made incorrectly but in good faith.
“However, we will not stand by while a minority choose to deliberately abuse the system for their own gain and we make absolutely no apology for taking a robust approach to tackling fraud
“Every pound claimed fraudulently is a pound diverted away from the services that residents rely on every day at a time.”
Investigators say they continue to receive a steady stream of cases to pour over while also dealing with a number of appeals from people unhappy to have lost discounts or benefits.
One claimant sought the return of seven months of SPD after continuing to maintain that they lived alone.
Instead, however, they ended up with an additional bill of more than £5,000.
A separate exercise was carried out by the council to examine the money held by benefit claimants.
In 20 targeted cases, seven claimants failed to declare savings exceeding the thresholds that can affect entitlement to support.
Benefits were reduced accordingly and overpayments totalling £36,813 were identified.
Cllr Harrison added: “We now have the advanced technology tools, expertise and determination to identify fraud, recover money owed and protect the public purse."
People can report fraud directly to the Council at www.hartlepool.gov.uk/report-fraud