Isle of Anglesey County Council

Reporting fraud


Why you should report fraud

Committing fraud against the council directly impacts the services provided to the residents of Anglesey. Every pound lost to fraud is a pound less that can be spent on delivering services.

You can help us prevent and detect fraud by reporting it online.

Examples of fraud

  • Lying about your circumstances to obtain goods, services, discounts, exemptions or grants.
  • Providing false information or documents.
  • Not providing the council with all the information that may affect an application or claim.
  • Dishonestly failing to report changes in circumstances when there is a legal requirement to do so.
  • Council staff stealing or misusing council resources – this includes cash, stores, equipment, vehicles, or buildings.
  • Council staff giving contracts for work to friends.
  • Sub-letting council houses.

Fraud, bribery, and corruption will not be tolerated. All reports will be investigated.

Types of fraud

You can report benefit fraud by calling the National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 854 440 (GOV.UK call charges and phone numbers) or reporting it online (www.gov.uk).

Blue Badges are issued to people with a disability. The disability may not always be obvious and may be intermittent.

If you see someone parked in a disabled space, but not showing obvious signs of disability, it does not necessarily mean they are not disabled or not entitled to use the space.

Blue Badges can be misused in a number of ways.

Misuse by the badge holder

  • Using a badge that is no longer valid.
  • Using a badge that has been reported as lost or stolen.
  • Allowing a friend or relative to use the badge.
  • Using a copied badge.
  • Changing the details on the badge, like the expiry date.
  • Making a fraudulent application (for example, providing false information on the application form) or using a badge obtained fraudulently.

Misuse by a third party

  • Using someone else's badge without the badge holder being present in the vehicle.
  • Using a badge belonging to someone who has died.
  • Copying, altering, or faking badges.
  • Using a stolen badge.
  • Using a fake badge.

Examples include:

  • council officers or councillors accepting money or gifts from members of the public
  • council officers or councillors taking advantage of their position to obtain money or gifts
  • council officers or councillors favouring contractors in exchange for money or gifts or because they are friends or family
  • contractors bribing a council officer to secure work with the council

Examples include:

  • claiming Council Tax single person’s discount when another adult (that is not exempt) is living at a property
  • not informing the council of a change in circumstance which may affect your Council Tax reduction entitlement
  • claiming reliefs and discounts that you are not entitled to, such as student exemption, unoccupied and unfurnished exemption
  • claiming that your Anglesey property is your main residence in order to avoid paying the Council Tax premium

A business might evade paying their rates by:

  • making false claims for discounts and reliefs
  • supplying false information or documents concerning the occupier of a property or ratepayer

Examples include:

  • lying about circumstances or exaggerating a care need
  • failing to declare income, money held in savings or other capital assets such as property, stocks and bonds
  • continuing to claim financial support after the death of the person needing care
  • using money intended for the provision of care on other things
  • continuing to claim or receive direct payments when out of the country for extended periods
  • carers claiming for care they have not provided

Examples include:

  • not occupying a council house as your only/principal home
  • sub-letting a council house to someone else
  • continuing to live in a council house after the tenant has left or died, without the council’s consent
  • making false statements when applying for a social housing property

Examples include:

  • price fixing by contractors working for the council
  • contractors or suppliers charging for work not carried out or for services not provided
  • contractors or suppliers being favoured by officers due to personal relationships and/or being offered incentives
  • internal employee fraud
  • misuse of grant funding by individuals, businesses and voluntary sector organisations