Housing and Council Tax Benefit

Benefit Fraud

Benefit Fraud costs the country about £2 billion a year which is money that could be spent on public services. This equates to around £80 a year for each household in Great Britain. Fraud has an impact on the amount of Council Tax and Income Tax you pay and the amount of resources available to the Community.

The prevention, detection and investigation of Benefit Fraud in Carlisle City Council is dealt with by the Investigation Unit. They are a dedicated team of professionally trained investigators who undertake investigations into allegations of Benefit Fraud received by the Council. These allegations may be from members of the public, officers and members of the Council, other Government Departments and from the results of National and Local Data Matching.

Carlisle City Council is committed to protecting public funds through its action against Benefit Fraud. We will prosecute benefit cheats and recover any overpaid benefit. Anyone who cheats the benefit system will not be allowed to get away with it.

What is Benefit Fraud?

Benefit Fraud is where people claim any benefit including Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit they are not entitled to by giving false information or not telling us when their circumstances change.

People who deliberately claim benefit when they are not entitled to it are committing a criminal offence.

Any person who makes a false statement or produces a false document in order to obtain benefit is committing a criminal offence that is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Any person who fails to notify the Council of a change of circumstances in order to continue to receive benefit is committing a criminal offence that is punishable by up to 7 years in prison.

If you suspect that someone is committing benefit fraud and would like to report this, you can complete the Online Benefit Fraud Form or contact us.

Types of Benefit Fraud

Some examples of Benefit Fraud are where people:

work but do not declare this when they claim benefit
claim as a single person but actually live with a partner
claim from an address, but do not actually live there
do not tell us the full amount of income, savings or capital when they claim benefit
do not report a change of circumstances whilst receiving benefit do not declare an occupational or works pension

If you suspect anyone of committing Benefit Fraud in respect of Housing or Council Tax Benefit, please: