HMRC recovered £7.9bn less from fraud and error in the first three months of this financial year than it did in the same period in 2019 – a drop of more than half.
More than 100 councils in England have reported fraudulent claims for Covid-19 grants since the introduction of the emergency measures, according to a report.
Up to £3.5bn may have been paid out in incorrect or fraudulent claims under the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the government has said.
Emails purporting to be from public bodies make up half of the top 10 Covid-19-related scams, according to the body representing UK banking and finance bodies.
Fraudsters have looked to exploit the current pandemic. Public sector bodies need to raise their game and learn from others, says Welsh auditor general Adrian Crompton.
The National Audit Office is to investigate the government’s implementation of Covid-19-related employment initiatives, including how it is mitigating the risk of fraud.
The Department for Work and Pensions has made “poor progress” in reducing fraud and error in the administration of Universal Credit, according to the National Audit Office.
CIPFA’s head of counter-fraud policy and strategy Laura Hough explains the take-home messages from MHCLG’s review into the risks of local government procurement fraud.
Emergency circumstances can exacerbate the risk of fraud, bribery and corruption, and potentially prevent funding from achieving maximum impact, warns CIPFA's Laura Hough.
A government review into the risks of fraud and corruption in local government procurement has called for councils to make fraud-awareness training mandatory, after a majority of respondents conceded...
West Suffolk Council prevented 299 fraudulent single-person Council Tax discounts last year – resulting in a saving of £240,362, according to figures from the authority.
CIPFA’s latest research into the views of public finance professionals, Perspectives of Fraud, Insights from Local Government, reveals four key areas to consider when tackling fraud.
St Albans City and District Council says it is making “good progress” in tackling fraud, after adopting new technology to identity residents who are potentially abusing council tax discounts for...
Almost two thirds (64%) of senior local council workers believe fraud is a major risk to local authorities, with the threat intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to research from CIPFA.
The government is facing renewed calls to stop the “injustice” of the so-called loan charge - the collection of historic tax avoided through ‘disguised remuneration’ schemes, which has so far led to...
Universal Credit ‘advances fraud’ is estimated to have cost the Department for Work and Pensions up to £150m in the 18 months to December 2019, according to the National Audit Office.
As the implications of climate change gain a higher profile, councils seeking to cut emissions must be wary of doubtful schemes that could cost them both finance and their reputation.
MPs and HM Revenue & Customs have found themselves in a standoff over the ‘loan charge’, a controversial result of the government closing a tax loophole that has left freelancers with mammoth...
The launch of the third local authority counter-fraud strategy, Fighting Fraud and Corruption Locally, shows how it is standing the test of time against ever-evolving threats, writes Rachael Tiffen.