The pay-off for catching those trying to commit fraud against councils is big.
Oxford Investigation Service is the specialist team charged with protecting Oxford City Council from fraudsters – and also offers its expertise elsewhere in the country.
Oxford City Council says the investigation service saved it £7.4m in the past financial year through fraud prevention and detection. That is more than 30% of the council’s net budget of about £24m.
It say this this is achieved through things like detecting fraudulent housing and Right to Buy applications.
The team carries out investigations both online and via face-to-face visits if they suspect wrongdoing.
Beyond the money – there is also the impact fraud has on residents, according to city council deputy leader Ed Turner.
“If we’ve got 58 people getting social housing which they’re not entitled to, those are 58 people that don’t have the social housing that they need,” he explained.
“And that is a huge impact on the individuals and families involved, particularly in an area with a housing crisis.”
