News

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED TO CUT SHEPWAY BENEFIT FRAUD

A review of the way Shepway Council tackles benefit fraud has said that there are areas where improvements could be made.

It found that no management checks were made before benefit fraud cases were closed and there were some inaccuracies in the way fraud files were maintained. Interview techniques were sometimes poor and surveillance was not always effective.

Ian Johnson, Revenues and Benefits Manager, said the council’s benefit fraud team would be working to make improvements.

“We were generally satisfied with the report’s findings. It recognised that we have many areas of good practice and that the council takes a strong stand against benefit fraud.

The report, just published by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI), focuses o­n the council’s efforts to deter, prevent and detect fraud and how it deals with it when it is detected.