Reporting suspected fraud

For example, if you claim benefit but do not tell us that you:

• are working
• have property, capital or income
• have a partner who lives with you (including civil partners and same sex couples)
• have other adults living in the property which may affect your entitlement to benefit

If you are in receipt of Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support, it is your responsibility to notify us immediately of any change in your circumstances that may affect your entitlement.

You cannot assume that other organisations, like the Department for Work and Pensions or Jobcentre Plus, will notify us on your behalf.

Other types of fraud include:

• homeowners falsely claim Housing Benefit, inventing a fictitious landlord and using false rent books and tenancy agreements
• claimants who claim Housing Benefit for an address where they do not live. These types of offences can involve the landlord or other tenants, or occur when the claimant doesn't tell us that the have moved out of a property
• landlords who continue to receive benefit paid direct to them when they know the claimant has left the premises
• fictitious tenancies created between friends or family where the property would not normally be rented in order to obtain benefit to which they are not entitled

Information about the person you are reporting should include:

A description including:

• height
• build, hair colour/style;
• any distinguishing features

If they own a vehicle:

• make
• colour
• vehicle registration
• where is it kept (this information helps if we have to carry out any surveillance)

If they are working:

• where they work
• the time they leave and return home
• the days they work on
• how they get to work (own vehicle, walk, bus etc)
• if they are collected, who picks them up and in what kind of vehicle
• if they wear a uniform
• how long they have been working for

If they have undeclared savings:

• how much they have
• where their savings are held (bank, building society, etc)

If you suspect someone is living with the claimant and they haven't told us:

• the name of the person living with the claimant
• their relationship to the claimant (living together, lodger, etc)
• how long have they been living with the claimant?
• if they are working (see above for examples of information relating to work)
• any personal information can you provide about them (see above for examples of information relating to description, finances etc)

Please tell the Department of Work and Pensions how you know the information.