Benefit fraud is knowingly obtaining benefit to which there is no entitlement. It is the deliberate withholding or providing of false information, or intentionally not reporting a change of circumstances in order to obtain benefits. It covers all benefits, such as Housing Benefit, Income Support, Pension Credits, Jobseekers Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Council Tax Reduction, etc. Benefit fraud is a criminal offence and may result in prosecution.
The most common types of benefit fraud are:
You can report suspected benefit fraud by contacting the National Benefit Fraud Hotline on: 0800854440 or for the hard of hearing 08003280512 available 08:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday. They can also be contacted by post at National Benefit Fraud Hotline, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 2BP
Benefit Fraud can also be reported online at www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud.
For more information relating to benefit fraud you can download additional documents from the Related Downloads section of this page.