Agenda item

To consider the six monthly update from the Counter Fraud Unit. 

41.1          The report of the Head of Finance and Asset Management, circulated at Pages No. 33-38, provided the Committee with assurance over the counter fraud activities of the Council. Members were asked to note the report and make its comments as necessary.

41.2          The Counter Fraud Unit Manager advised that the report provided the six monthly update against the work plan and Members were reminded that the plan was likely to change as a consequence of the workstreams created by the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Counter Fraud Unit had been supporting those workstreams in relation to fraud risk and abuse, most significantly in relation to the business grants – this would continue, as required, as more grant schemes were implemented; currently eight transactions were being reviewed to verify eligibility. As a dedicated investigatory support service, the Counter Fraud Unit undertook a wide range of enforcement and investigation work according to the requirements of each partner Council; this included criminal investigation and prosecution support for enforcement teams, investigations into staff/Member fraud and corruption, or tenancy and housing fraud investigation work.  Prosecutions for fraudulent attempts had also been discussed but the team was mindful that in quarter one of next year it would get the national fraud data for checking. A summary of the reactive work of the Counter Fraud Unit was provided at Paragraph 2.3 of the report and included Council Tax Reduction Scheme activities as well as the commencement of a review of the housing list.

41.3          A Member noted that, in terms of the work on the housing list, of 147 matches, eight applicants had been removed; he questioned whether this was higher due to the COVID-19 Pandemic or if that was a normal amount to find. In response, the Counter Fraud Unit Manager advised that the national data matching exercise was a huge piece of work that was done annually. The Council Tax checks were also done annually but the housing list checks were carried out every other year. The numbers were usually around the same for all of the partner Councils and the number of anomalies were also similar; this was a really good data cleansing exercise. The COVID-19 grants work was obviously a new exercise and would be a significant piece of work due to the number of grants paid nationally. Referring to the case heard in the Magistrates Court in respect of a fraudulent claim for Council Tax support, a Member questioned who covered the costs for the action. In response, the Counter Fraud Unit Manager advised that this was dealt with by the Crown Prosecution Service as it was a joint case with the Department for Work and Pensions. However, the Counter Fraud Unit always put in a schedule for investigatory costs and asked for them to be paid – usually the minimum amount of costs was agreed if it was a capital fraud as the person was on benefits. In response to a query regarding the charity exemption review, the Counter Fraud Unit Manager advised that this was to ensure the rules about the value of charitable goods in stores versus what was being sold were being adhered to as that dictated the amount of relief applied.

41.4          The Chair thanked the Counter Fraud Unit for its work at this difficult time and, it was

                 RESOLVED           That the Counter Fraud Unit update be NOTED.