Investigators at London council find £11.9m in fraud in 2013/14

Investigators at a London council have unearthed an estimated £11.9m in fraud during 2013/14, it has been reported.

Barnet Council said the work of its Corporate Anti-Fraud Team (CAFT) and a tenancy fraud ‘amnesty’ had led to the recovery of 63 illegally sublet council properties.

“The recovery of each property is calculated as being worth £150,000 – the equivalent average cost of building a new social housing unit [according to an Audit Commission report],” it added.

The CAFT team prevented 11 cases during the year of people attempting to take advantage of the Right to Buy scheme when they were not entitled to.

Investigations also saw prosecutions over more than £1.1m-worth of benefit fraud in 2013/14.

Cllr Richard Cornelius, Barnet’s Leader, said: “The significant amount of fraud being detected illustrates just how important it is for the council to work as hard as possible to protect the public purse.

“Nowadays it is more important than ever that money goes into providing services and not to those intent on cheating the system. I am sure this sends out a very clear message to anyone committing or contemplating fraud, that you will be caught.”