Council say £1.3m has been saved as a result of the work of the audit team

Ealing council say there's been a steep rise in the number of fraud cases foiled, with a saving of almost £1.3m of theft from the public purse - a rise of over £470,000 on the previous year.

Ealing Council’s audit and investigation team tackled  cases including:
 - 43 fraudulent housing waiting list claims, where the person falsified entitlement claims in order to make themselves a priority candidate, for example by pretending to be from a badly overcrowded home. 
 - 9 false homelessness cases, where the person pretended to be homeless.
 - 19 council homes recovered from fraudulent use – all were either illegally sublet or left vacant by their tenants. This represents a 280% rise on the previous year.

The council say a new strategy encouraging cross-council working has flagged up key fraud risks and a focus on prevention and detection has also enabled the team to target its resources at the right cases. 

Councillor Peter Mason, Ealing Council’s lead member for housing, planning and transformation said: “Tackling fraud is a strategic priority for Ealing. This vital work, which has protected almost £1.3 million of taxpayers’ money, means that 71 much-needed council homes can now be allocated to families in genuine need. 

“Ealing’s government funding has been cut by 64%. That means that for every pound we used to receive, we now get just 36p. At the same time, demand is growing, especially in homelessness and adult social care. With such extreme pressures, it is important that we make every penny count by directing our services and support to those who need it most.

“We take these cases very seriously and will pursue the strongest possible measures against fraudsters, including prosecution.”

If you suspect that fraud relating to council property or services is taking place, you can report it to fraud@ealing.gov.uk.

25 June 2019