Benefit Fraud

Benefit Fraud is not a victimless crime.  Everyone is a victim of benefit thieves, as they steal money from taxpayers. 

We are committed to combating Benefit Fraud and ensure that anyone caught stealing money is dealt with in an appropriate way.

What if I make a mistake on my claim form?

We know that most people are honest and we want to encourage everyone to claim all the benefit they are legally entitled to.  We also know that people make genuine mistakes when completing their forms.  This is why we investigate all cases thoroughly and ensure that we only take action against people who have knowingly committed fraud

What happens to people who commit Benefit Fraud?

Any benefit thieves that we catch will have to repay the money they have stolen.  We may also take one of three actions: 

  • We will issue a formal caution.  This is serious and an official record of the caution is kept on a central file.  If the person commits another fraud, this caution would be mentioned in court.
  • We will issue an administrative penalty.  This is a fine that has to be paid back to us in addition to the overpayment.
  • In the worst cases, we will prosecute benefit thieves.

I know someone who is a Benefit Thief. What should I do?

Please contact us.  You do not have to give your name or address.  Any information you give is strictly confidential. 

You can write to us at:

Benefit Enquiry Unit
Housing Benefits
Darlington Borough Council
Town Hall
Darlington  DL1 5QT

You can ring us on 01325 388517 - if you call out of Office Hours, leave a message and we will get back to you the next working day.

Shared Fraud Hotline

You can also contact the Shared Fraud Hotline on 0800 328 6340.  This is a national Hotline service which is available during 8.00am - 6.00pm. Anything you tell them will be forwarded to us.

If you use a text phone, you can contact the Shared Fraud Hotline on 0800 328 6341

You can also write to them at the following address:
PO Box No. 647
Preston
PR1 1WA

What happens next?

We investigate every allegation of benefit fraud.  We have to do this thoroughly, and so it may take sometime to complete an investigation.  The law states that we must keep all information on our customers confidential, so it is not possible to give progress reports on an investigation.