Barnsley Council fraud team recover £38,000 after council tax errors
The funds were recovered from various sources, including council tax discounts, housing benefit overpayments, and the council tax reduction scheme.
Barnsley Council’s corporate assurance team successfully recovered a total of £38,118 through its anti-fraud efforts between August 2024 and January 2025.
The funds were recovered from various sources, including council tax discounts, housing benefit overpayments, and the council tax reduction scheme.
During this period, the team identified a total of £6,988 in errors within the council tax reduction scheme, with eight cases currently under recovery.
Additionally, the team identified overpayments on council tax discounts, amounting to £2,477. These funds are being recovered through various channels, with several cases referred to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for further action.
Another £10,413 has been recovered through the council tax reduction scheme, where 14 cases were identified and are now in the process of being rectified.
Other notable recoveries include £5,558 in housing benefit overpayments, which have also been addressed, with some cases referred to the relevant authorities. The team has also been successful in recovering £6,630 through data matching exercises, focusing on issues such as single-person council tax discounts.
In addition to these financial recoveries, the team also handled a range of internal investigations, with one case referred to South Yorkshire Police for further action.