Distorting information or failing to tell us of changes in circumstances which affect your claim for a reduction, discount or exemption is Council Tax fraud.
Types of Council Tax fraud include:
- failing to tell us you’re working
- failing to declare other benefits or pensions
- claiming you’re living at a property when you aren’t
- failing to tell us you own other properties or land
- failing to tell us about savings and bank accounts
- failing to tell us about partners or other people living with you
- claiming to be a student when you’re not
- claiming to be the only adult in an empty property to avoid paying an empty property charge.
If you’re suspected of Council Tax fraud you could be:
- arrested and have your property searched by the police
- interviewed under caution.
Punishments could include:
- repaying the money that was overpaid to you
- a financial penalty
- loss of any reductions, future reductions or discounts
- prosecution
- having your property taken away (under the Proceeds of Crime Act).
You can report suspected fraud online, this can be anonymous or you can leave your details which will be kept in confidence.
Please give as much detail as possible to help us decide if we should investigate and improve our chances of a successful outcome.
We’ll always investigate reported fraud fully but we can’t give feedback on investigations due to Data Protection.