Issue - meetings
Single Fraud Investigation Service- Position Update
Meeting: 23/09/2015 - Audit Committee (Item 4)
4 Single Fraud Investigation Service- Position Update PDF 92 KB
Minutes:
The Corporate Anti-fraud Manager presented the report which updated the Committee on the arrangements for the transfer of the existing Housing Benefits Fraud Investigation Service to DWP. The Committee was advised:
- That the service would be transferred in February 2016.
- That the transfer created a potential risk that joined up service working would be lost. To address this, Members were asked to support a proposal that an officer be recruited to investigate and explore new areas of fraud activity such as single person discount fraud and student registration fraud.
In response to Members’ questions the following information was provided:
- The Council did not intend to recruit to the services given over to DWP as this was a smaller area.
- By investing in relevant anti-fraud initiatives potential annual savings of £500,000 could be made in relation to council tax and NNDR fraud.
RESOLVED
- That the update on the creation of a single fraud investigation service be noted.
2. That the resource gap the service transfer will create be noted and support in principle be endorsed to minimise the exposure to abuse by resourcing the shortfall from Council funds.