The Head of Revenues and Benefits Shared Service presented her report providing an update on the work undertaken by the Revenues and Benefits Fraud and Compliance Team.  It was noted that:

·  In 2016, the responsibility for investigating Housing Benefit fraud was transferred from the Council’s Housing Benefit Service to the Department for Work and Pensions.  The Council took the decision to continue with a shared Fraud Team as part of Mid-Kent Services to investigate fraud and error within the Council Tax and Business Rates systems.

·  The Team covered Maidstone, Swale and Tunbridge Wells Borough Councils and was funded mainly by the Kent County Council as a precepting authority with the expectation of a 3:1 return on investment.

·  The work programme for 2018/19 included activity aimed at addressing fraud and error within the Council Tax system (single person discount), Business Rates system (small business rate relief) and maximising the income to partner authorities through New Homes Bonus.  Savings totalling £763,000 had been generated across the three authorities by the Team.

·  The focus in the current year had been on the new release of National Fraud Initiative data and small business rate relief accounts.  A new system was being implemented for the monitoring of single person discounts and the Team had finished working on the New Homes Bonus project, an exercise which had resulted in savings of £205,800.  Savings generated across the three authorities by the Team during 2019/20 amounted to £1.1m to date.

In response to questions, the Head of Revenues and Benefits Shared Service advised the Committee that:

·  Comprehensive checks were carried out in respect of single person discount including checking against the electoral roll and credit referencing checks to make sure that there was only one person as shown on the register/applying for any credit.

·  The New Homes Bonus related not only to new homes but also to long term empty properties (properties which have been empty for more than two years) brought back into use.  For each one of these properties identified as being occupied, the Council was given the sum of £1,400.

·  In 2018/19 penalties were introduced whereby those residents who do not report changes in circumstances or who fraudulently make claims are issued with a penalty of £70.  In addition to that the Team would seek to claim back any discounts.

RESOLVED:  That the update on the work undertaken by the Revenues and Benefits Fraud and Compliance Team be noted.