Issue - meetings

This report informs Members of the work of the Fraud Section for the financial year 2025/2006 to date and provides updates on progress and developments.

Recommendation

To note the contents of this report.

The Interim Head of Finance presented the report and noted a typo in the summary at 1.1, which should be 2025-2026.

Members asked about single person council tax discount and the number of fraud cases being pursued in Three Rivers. The officer advised that this would need to be checked, noting that officers sought legal advice on whether to pursue some cases and referred cases to the National Fraud Initiative (NFI), which could also make recommendations on whether cases should proceed. The officer added that such cases could be difficult to prove. Action – Interim Head of Finance to confirm whether the information is available. The Client Audit Manager advised that the data was available and that she had previously seen it. Members also asked about referral numbers, ongoing investigations, and how the figures compared with previous years. The officer advised that, in future, comparison data will be provided on referrals and ongoing investigations. Action – Interim Head of Finance.

The Committee noted the report.

RESOLVED:

To note the contents of this report.