What happens once an allegation of fraud has been received by the Benefits Investigation Section?
Once an allegation of fraud has been received by the Investigation Officer, he/she will firstly, look at the content of the allegation, make some initial enquiries and then decide upon a course of action. This may involve a home visit to see the person or in certain situations, where we have reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence may have been committed, the person claiming benefit will be invited to attend an interview at the Council Offices. This interview may be a formal interview under caution and tape recorded and held in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. The purpose of the interview is to establish the facts and allow the person involved to provide an explanation for the events that have occurred. However, if evidence of a criminal offence emerges during the interview, the person may be subject to one of the three following forms of legal penalty: • A Formal Caution – this is similar to a Police Caution and is recorded on The Department for Work an
