You are here: silicon.com > Public Sector > News

Text messages rat on benefits cheats

Half a million pounds saved...

Tags: counil tax

By Dan Ilett

Published: 2 December 2005 15:10 GMT

Almost £500,000 has been recovered from fraudsters after a council set up a texting service for locals to finger benefits cheats.

The benefit fraud investigation unit at a Yorkshire council has issued 106 sanctions against fraudsters since it introduced the service earlier this year. The council said the investigation team has received more than 500 referrals during that time.

We thought we could get the public to text us.

-- Andy Hardy, fraud investigation manager at Yorkshire Council, on the benefits of modern technology

Andy Hardy, fraud investigation manager at the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: "Benefit fraud accounts for £600m a year. We've identified half a million pounds in benefit fraud. We thought we could get the public to text us."

Hardy said the council also has an email service and fraud referral leaflets placed in leisure centres, which have contributed to the scheme. "This was just another route," he said.

The £435,000 reclaimed by the council marks an increase of 50.95 per cent compared with recorded figures from this time last year.

After a tip-off, the council carries out background checks on housing and council tax benefits records against suspects and compares them with bank, building society and pension records.

Once an inappropriate claim has been detected, the council then decides whether to caution, penalise or prosecute a benefit cheat.

Since April, the council has prosecuted 21 benefit cheats, issued 65 administrative penalties and issued 20 cautions.

  1. Zones
  2. Management
  3. Networks
  4. Software
  5. IT Services
  6. Hardware
  1. Verticals
  2. Public Sector
  3. Financial Services
  4. Retail & Leisure

silicon.com Public Sector
Get the latest public sector news straight to your inbox. Sign up for the PS newsletter today!


  • Jobs
C# Developer Leicestershire - up to 33,000

The salary for the role is up to 33,000, plus excellent company benefits including a pension and private health care. You will take ownership of some ...

Oracle Financials Functional Consultant- Council - Yorkshire

In particular you will have excellent HR module exerience and have worked within a council environment. Oracle Financials Functional Consultant - ...

S60994 - Service Management Co-ordinator

Provide a Service Management point of escalation for the Delivery Centres on the service including point of contact for offshore SM teams. Service ...

Peter Cochrane
Peter Cochrane's Blog: Government gaffe
Misunderstanding IT… again

Martyn Hart
Green IT changes outsourcing for all
Gov't guidelines bring carbon footprint to the forefront

silicon.com
Inbox: Data breaches, tech wages, ePassport woes
"If you offer training, you'll be fighting the applicants off with the proverbial stick..."

silicon.com
Inbox: Snooping bills, spam mountains, boring IT
"Have gov't all taken leave of their senses?"

Martyn Hart
Is short-termism holding back public sector outsourcing?
Comment: Driving down bids can store up trouble

silicon.com
Inbox: YouTube surveillance, skills gap, Naked speak
"It is up to citizens to use them, and not just moan in comments to silicon.com"

Agenda Setters 2008
Welcome to the ninth annual Agenda Setters poll – silicon.com's list of the top 50 most influential individuals in the technology and IT industries, from techies and CIOs to entrepreneurs and business leaders. Find out more in our latest special report.




Quick Sitemap Links: