Hyndburn Benefit Cheats targeted

Benefit cheats in Hyndburn have again been targeted by the Council’s Fraud Investigations Team, who were very successful last year, uncovering £264,204 of Housing and Council tax Benefit Fraud in the Borough, with a 100% success rate in court prosecutions.

From April 2012 to March 2013 the team officially cautioned 70 benefit cheats and prosecuted another 26. Some of the cases also had national benefits involved including Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance, bringing the total amount of fraud uncovered to £627,102.

The highest single case had a combined value of £99,149 and resulted in the claimant being sent to prison for 6 months.

Cllr Joan Smith, Cabinet Member for Finances at the Council said; “This has been another outstanding year for our hardworking and dedicated fraud team, who have unearthed a staggering combined amount of over £627k’s worth of fraud, with a 100% success rate in court prosecutions. The message is clear to would be benefit cheats in the borough; we won’t tolerate benefit fraud, it steals from the public purse and the vast majority of honest Council Tax Payers in the borough. We will pursue you and you could end up in court, and you will always have to repay the debt in full.”

To report fraud call the Fraud Hotline 01254 380240.