The Investigations Section

Types of Fraud we look at

Household Member Fraud

1. Living Together - This is where someone has got a partner living with them and has failed to declare this to us in order to gain more monies.

2. Collusive Separation - This is where someone has told us that there partner has moved out, when they haven't.  This is often done to allow one of them to claim extra money.

3. Undisclosed Non-dependants - This is where someone has got another adult (over age 18) living in their house and failed to declare it.  This is done, as a fixed deduction would be applied to a benefit claim where another adult resides in the property.

Failing to declare a Change of Circumstances

1. Change of Address - This is often done to allow fraudsters to receive benefit for a property that they do not live in.

2. Starting work - This is done so as to keep their benefits, when they are earning other money.

Earnings related fraud

1. Working and Claiming Benefits

2. Understating Earnings - This is done because Benefits are 'means tested', so the more income you have - the less benefit you get.

3. The Self-employed - Maybe 'fiddling' their profit and loss accounts in order to receive extra benefits.

Tenancy Fraud

1. False Tenancy - This may be done by landlords to create a tenant who does not exist, or by a person who owns their own house and creates a landlord who does not exist.  Mainly done to try and get benefits to pay a mortgage.

2. Contrived Tenancy - This is where there is no liability to pay rent and the tenancy has been created with the sole aim of taking advantage of the benefit system.

3. Non-commercial Tenancy - This is where the amount of rent that is charged, for benefit purposes, is different to the level of rent that is collected.

Savings Fraud

1. Non Disclosure of Ownership of Property or Land
2. Non Disclosure of Bank Accounts or Shares

Pension Fraud

1. Non Disclosure of a Private Pension
2. Non Disclosure of a Work Pension
3. Non Disclosure of a Deceased Spouses Pension