Benefit cheats targetedin major crackdown

Ashfield District Council have issued a warning that benefit fraudsters face heavy fines and possible court-action and also run the risk of being ordered to pay back the cash they have falsely received.

Already this year, the council’s fraud investigations team have identified more than 130,000 worth of illegal benefits claims.

Now they say they will continue targeting those who work while claiming unemployment benefit, people living with a partner and claiming benefits as a single person and residents who fail to report a change in their circumstances.

The warning ties in with a national campaign to crack down on fraudsters.

Ashfield’s fight is helped by invaluable information received from the public, plus surveillance and a central government system that cross-references data from financial institutions, the Inland Revenue and other government departments in a bid to identify cases of fraud at the earliest possible stage.

Anyone tempted to lie to claim benefits is warned that it is a crime committed against law-abiding taxpayers and can result in heavy fines or a prison sentence.

Anyone wanting to report a suspected case of benefit fraud can do so by calling an investigator in confidence on 01623 457227.

Alternatively, make a report online by logging on at www.ashfield-dc.gov.uk and clicking on the ‘Report Suspected Benefit Fraud Online’ icon.