Benefit Fraud is a criminal offence that occurs when somebody knowingly or dishonestly receives Benefit when they are not entitled to it. Some typical examples of this are when somebody:
- Fails to tell us about a change in their circumstances;
- Gives false information in relation to their claim;
- Leaves out information from their claim.
There are different types of fraud. Sometimes fraud is well planned and organised at other times it is opportunistic. It can be motivated by greed, or by need. It does not matter if a fraud results in as little as a few pounds extra Benefit, or thousands of pounds over a period of months, or even years. It is still a criminal offence. This means that anyone who has committed Fraud may be prosecuted and, if convicted, they will receive a criminal record.
Typical types of Benefit Fraud are:
- People who work but do not declare this when they claim Benefit;
- People who claim as a single person, but actually live with a partner;
- People who claim from an address, but do not live there;
- People who do not tell us their full income, savings or capital when they claim Benefit;
- People who, for any reason, do not have any right to claim Housing Benefit, or Council Tax Benefit.
