Falkirk Council has a duty under law to administer Housing and Council Tax Benefit within Falkirk and the surrounding districts and is committed to delivering a high quality service to its citizens, ensuring that they receive benefits to which they are entitled and that benefits are provided to those who are in need.
However, we also are aware that some people deliberately attempt to obtain benefits to which they are not entitled.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has estimated that over £1.1billion pounds per year| of the total Social Security benefit expenditure is claimed fraudulently - 60% of this arises from Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance and Housing / Council Tax Benefit fraud.
The Council recognises that we have a pivotal role to play in reducing the amount of money fraudulently obtained from the system through Housing and Council Tax Benefit.
We have our own Benefits Investigation Team as well as a team of Visiting Officers who carry out "verification visits" to undertake checks and make sure claimants are receiving the correct benefit entitlement.
Statement of Intent
When we do detect a potentially fraudulent case, we will ensure it is thoroughly investigated, recover any overpaid sums and give consideration to offering an Administrative Caution, an Administrative Penalty or passing the case to the Procurator Fiscal for possible prosecution, wherever appropriate as outlined in our Fraud and Prosecution Policy.
Mission Statement
Aims and Objectives:The Benefits Investigation team will aim to 'Provide a professional and effective Investigation Service' by:
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Ensuring that there is confidential and consistent treatment of information received
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Carrying out investigations fairly, professionally and in accordance with the law.
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Effectively liaising with joint partners
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Effectively communicating with third parties
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Using appropriate data and intelligence gathering lawfully
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Interviewing customers in accordance with the test of fairness
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Ensuring that the relevant sanction is applied in appropriate cases
All our investigators are PINs trained and bound by our Code of Conduct|.