Preventing fraud

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Summary

The London Counter Fraud Hub is a pan-London data exchange to ensure local authorities are making maximum use of their own records to fight fraud such as procurement deception, council tax evasion and illegal council housing tenancy sub-lets.

The hub matches LA’s data with records held throughout the capital to prevent fraud and identify losses for investigation and recovery.

The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has been appointed to provide data analytics for the London Counter Fraud Hub after a procurement originated and led by Ealing Council.

The hub has received a Department for Communities and Local Government grant and the contract with CIPFA will operate on a payment-by-results basis.

 A pilot phase will get under way in summer 2017, with the hub launching its full operations in early 2018.

 

Benefits

The amount of money boroughs and communities stand to gain from fraud recovery and prevention are considerable. 

The most recent estimates show that councils were defrauded of £2.1 billion each year nationwide, including £133 million in council tax discount fraud. Around £57 million of this was in London.