Council cracking down on fraudsters
The amount is similar to the £230,520 in attempted fraud identified during 2016-17 but remains significantly higher than the previous four years.
The most frequently attempted fraud against the council last year, related to ‘deprivation of assets’.
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Hide AdThis is when someone deliberately reduces or hides their wealth – such as money, property or income – to increase the chances of the taxpayer funding the costs of their social care.
The council detected 91 deprivation of assets cases in 2017-18, worth £94,188.
Coun Bruce Laughton, chairman of the governance and ethics committee at the council, said: “It is well known that funding for local authorities has been reducing in recent years, while the demand for our services – particularly social care for children, older people and people with disabilities – continues to increase.
“So it’s more vital than ever that we do everything to protect the money we have available to direct at frontline services.
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Hide Ad“The £230,000 of fraud is a tiny proportion of the £1 billion the council spends in providing services every year, but we will not be complacent.
“Every pound taken away fraudulently from providing important services is a pound too many and we will continue to take a zero tolerance stance against it.”
If you suspect an individual or business of fraud against the council, call the internal audit team on 0115 9772224.