Benefit Fraud
If someone who is claiming benefits deliberately fails to report a change in their circumstances within one month, or lies in order to claim housing benefit or Council Tax Reduction then they are committing fraud.
Among other checks, we rely on people to pass on information concerning possible fraudulent benefit claims.
Report a benefit cheat
If you suspect someone is committing benefit fraud please:
- call our confidential 24-hour benefit fraud hotline 01235 422483 – this number is manned during council office hours and is linked to an answer phone at all other times, or
- complete our Report Benefit Fraud form and email it to fraud@southandvale.gov.uk
All information you provide is treated in confidence.
Important – please do not alert anyone that we may be investigating them for benefit fraud, as this could disrupt our enquiries.
For reasons of confidentiality we will not be able to tell you the results of our investigation although we will publicise the results if the case goes to court.
What information should you provide?
When reporting a suspected benefit cheat please give as much detail as possible to help us find the person and investigate them.
For example, if you suspect someone is working and claiming benefits, do you know:
- what time they leave home for work or return home in the evening?
- do they drive?
- their car registration number, or the colour or make of the vehicle?
If you cannot provide these details, do not worry – any information you give can help our investigation.
Your personal information
When you report information to us you can choose to remain anonymous, although it would help our investigations if you could give your name and phone number in case we need more information from you.
Any information you provide will be treated in the strictest confidence and we will not give your name to anyone else.
Further information
If you want to report a suspected benefit cheat outside of our district, please visit the National Targeting Fraud website or call the Fraud Hotline on 0800 3286340.
For people who are hard of hearing, there is a textphone number 0800 3286341.
The Local Government Transparency Code 2015
Under the Local Government Transparency Code 2015 we are required to annually publish information relating to our counter fraud work.
Contact us - Fraud team
01235 422483
(Text phone users add 18001 before dialing)
South Oxfordshire District Council
Abbey House
Abbey Close
Abingdon
OX14 3JE
