Tens of thousands of pounds identified for recovery through council tax fraud investigations

Ted Peskett – Local Democracy Reporter

A council has identified that it was owed tens of thousands of pounds through investigations into council tax fraud last year.

The findings came in a Cardiff Council report on the work of the internal audit team which was presented to the local authority’s governance and audit committee on Tuesday, July 9.

It showed that £21,853 worth of under-charged council tax and £71,295 worth of overpayments in council tax reductions were identified for recovery during 2023/24.

Figures in the report also showed that the council prevented 18 insurance claims that would have costed it £172,346.

Last year, 22 council tax liability investigations were completed compared to 46 in the year before.

However, there were more council tax reduction investigations concluded in 2023/24 compared to the previous year. Last year, 49 investigations were completed and in 2022/23, the figure was 36.

For each area of investigation, £33,985 and £24,370 were recovered respectively for 2022/23.

Council tax liability investigations relate to people applying for discounts or exemptions that they are not entitled to. Council tax reduction investigations relate to applicants failing to correctly disclose information in order to receive payments that they are not entitled to.

There has been a big reduction in the amount of money saved through preventing insurance claims made due to fraud or error.

In 2022/23, 21 investigations were concluded and £310,595 was saved. In the year before that, £750,332 was saved.

Blue badge

A report on audit investigations published last year showed that 75 and 76 blue badges were seized in 2022/23 and 2021/22 respectively. Most of these seizures were from vehicles being parked without the blue badge holder being present.

Last year, 35 blue badges were handed in and a number of cases are still with the courts awaiting an outcome.

Another conclusion of the audit report for the 2023/24 financial year highlighted that 57 tenancy investigations were completed.

However, no wrongdoing was found.

The highest number of completed investigations for 2022/23 related to tenancy fraud, including subletting and waiting list applications.

In all 114 investigations were completed for that year compared to 13 investigations which were concluded in the previous year.