Less than three years since Herefordshire Council began developing its own Counter Fraud Service the team has been shortlisted for the second year running for a nationally recognised award
This time the award is for ‘Local Excellence’. The results will be announced on 22 February at the Public Sector Counter Fraud Awards 2023.
Fraud currently accounts for up to 40% of all crime. The risk of public sector fraud is also on the rise and currently costing Local Authorities in the UK as much as £7.8 billion annually.
Last week (30 January), Herefordshire Counter Fraud Service presented the latest Annual Counter Fraud Report to the Audit & Governance Committee. The report provides an overview of all counter fraud activity across the Council’s services during 2022.
Positive and successful actions have been taken against those who attempted to defraud Council services. As part of these many successes, the team managed to identify £243,177 for recovery from individuals who had sought access to public funding. This money can now be used to support those within the local community with genuine needs.
The service also emphasised that prevention and collaborative working were key to managing the ongoing threat of fraud including increased training and awareness of fraud, and the integration of new fraud prevention technology across various services.
In November 2022 a new Counter Fraud Platform was launched on the Council’s webpage which provides members of the public with a direct route to report suspected fraud concerning the Council’s services resulting in a 75% increase in referrals.
Cllr Liz Harvey, Cabinet Member Finance, Corporate Services and Planning, said: “With the threat of fraud rising it is ever more important that we ensure Council support goes to those most in need. We can and will continue to protect public funds and to pursue all fraudsters. It is reassuring to know our Counter Fraud Service is amongst the best in the country.”