Issue - meetings
Annual Anti -Fraud Report 2012-13
Meeting: 26/09/2013 - Audit Committee (Item 5)
5 Annual Anti -Fraud Report 2012-13 PDF 101 KB
To note the report.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Tony Qayum, Corporate Antifraud Manager presented to the report which provided an update of reactive and antifraud work undertaken during 2012-13. Additionally, the work of the Corporate Antifraud Team relating to corporate investigation, housing benefit fraud, social housing fraud and parking fraud was reported.
He noted that:
· the multi-agency review (paragraph 4.5) had been very successful in revealing criminal activity
· significant monies had been recouped from activities under the National Fraud Initiative
· fraud convictions were now often subject to legal challenge and therefore the process evictions or reclaiming properties from sub-letees was delayed
· an Antifraud Hub had been established to better enable data mismatches to be tracked. This also acted to invigorate further investigations
· the Antifraud Team was exploring opportunities for joint working with further partners to ensure that housing was allocated to those genuinely in need
In response to Members’ questions the following information was provided:
Families with children who were renting illegally:
· the Committee was informed that most cases investigated revealed that those renting illegally also owned properties elsewhere. It rarely occurred that an illegal occupier return to the Council through the homeless persons’ service. He also advised that data matching had been undertaken since 2010 during which time 120 illegally rented properties had been recovered.
Anticipated date for the establishment of the London Authorities Partnership:
· the Committee was advised that establishment was expected to be concluded within the next month. Since a protocol for sharing information would be established through this partnership, all London authorities would be able to undertake data matching exercises, fraud investigations and share data more effectively
RESOLVED:
That the Annual Anti-Fraud Report be noted.