Housing benefit helps many people on low incomes and many
wouldn't be able to manage without it. Sadly, however, there are
many people who claim when they're not entitled to.
These people can make fraudulent claims in a number of ways.
Sometimes they withhold or exaggerate information. Sometimes they
forget to tell us about changes in their circumstances, they
overlook minor things that if known, would make a huge difference
to their entitlement, and sometimes they set out to deliberately
commit an act of fraud.
Take Mr Smith, he recently started a job as plumber, but he
hasn't told us and he still claims the same amount of housing
benefit as when he was unemployed.
But what about this woman and her two children? She rents a
property and claims housing benefit, but she lives with her
boyfriend and he is her landlord and the father of one of her
kids.
Or there's this man, he doesn't live here, or here, or here
(shows man entering three different properties). In fact nobody
does, but he claims housing benefit for all three addresses using
different false identities.
But it's alright isn't it? After all, there's no victim as such
is there? Is there? Well actually there is. You.
Benefit fraud may be viewed as a victimless crime, but the
actions of cheats affects every man, woman and child in this
country. By claiming when they're not entitled to, benefit cheats
may as well be stealing beds from your local hospital, or desks
from your child's classroom. Or even useful resources from your
public library.
It is estimated that benefit fraud costs the country
£900,000,000 per year - a staggering amount of money. Let's put
that into context; benefit cheats are stealing the equivalent of
£36 from every household in the country and that's enough to pay
for nearly 13,000 doctors, more than 20,000 police officers or
23,000 teachers.
Typical examples of benefit housing fraud include people who are
working but do not declare this when they are claiming benefit,
people who claim as a single person but actually live with a
partner, people who claim from an address but don't live there. And
people who do not declare their full financial position or any
change in their circumstances when they make a claim.
We all have a moral responsibility to report benefit fraud.
Local government employees have a duty to do so. To really protect
our hospitals, schools and services we need your help. If you
suspect someone is claiming benefits they're not entitled to please
call the benefit fraud hotline on 0800 328 6340. All information
received is treated in total confidence. Benefit cheats are
sealing from you. Don't let the cheats benefit.
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