Wakefield Council is committed to the prevention, deterrence and detection of Housing and Council Tax Benefit fraud.

The aim of the Housing and Council Tax Benefits Service is to pay the ‘right benefit, to the right people, at the right time’ – by helping those on a low income to pay their rent and Council Tax.

As an Authority, Wakefield Council has to make sure that the money gets to those who need it, but unfortunately there are people who try to commit fraud by claiming benefits to which they are not entitled.

In the year 2010/2011 Wakefield Council paid out around £116 million in benefits, but £694,416 of this was found to have been claimed dishonestly. This is a lot of money. Money that could have been spent on you and services provided by the Council. Money that could have helped further improve the communities in which we live.

That's why we are targeting benefit thieves.