Benefit Investigations

What is the Service?

The Council is keen to make correct and prompt payments of Housing and Council Tax benefit to genuine claimants, but are equally keen to stamp out benefit fraud.  The Investigation team is dedicated in the detection and prevention of fraudulent claims.

Benefit fraud is when a person:

• Deliberately provides false information
• Deliberately withholds information
• Allows someone else to provide false information in order to obtain benefits they are not entitled to

Help us to fight benefit fraud and ensure the right benefit is paid to the right person. If you know someone who is claiming benefit and:

• Not declaring that they are working
• Is claiming to live at an address where they no longer live
• Is not declaring a person who lives with them
• Is not declaring any increases in earnings or savings
• Is not declaring savings or capital

You can report your suspicions in a number of ways. You can either write to:

Benefit Investigations
Stafford Borough Council
Civic Centre
Riverside
Stafford
ST16 3AQ

Telephone our Fraud Hotline on 01785 619447 (24 hour answerphone) or the National Fraud Hotline on 0800 854440 between 7am and 11pm, 7 days a week.

You can also email or telephone us direct using the contact details to the right, or fill in an on-line form.

Please provide as much information as possible, such as car registrations, descriptions, employer details, alleged partner details, length of time together at the property.

All information will be dealt with in the strictest confidence and anyone providing information can, if they wish, remain anonymous.

Data Protection

Under the Data Protection Act the Investigations Team are unable to provide feedback on the information provided.