Grant Fraud
Hello,
I hope whoever is reading this is keeping well.
My name is Yohannes Lowe. This is a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please could you breakdown the following information from 1 March 2020 to 28 February 2021.
Please could the information be broken down concisely and as I have requested- in the most simple language/terms possible.
Q1) How many overpayments did your council identify for claims made as part of Covid-related government grant schemes it administered (for example, but not limited to: small business rates grant scheme; retail, hospital and leisure grant scheme) over the stated period?
1a) If such overpayments did occur, please could you tell me the total frequency of/ reasons for /such overpayment (for example, but not limited to: 'payment error', 'ineligible claim', 'fraudulent claim').
1aa) For each of these overpayments please can you state: the cost to the council of the overpayment amount (in £); how much of its total has been recovered (in £) as of the current date, and how much money (in £) is outstanding as of the current date.
So, for instance, taking the 'fraudulent claim' category as an example, your council may have made overpayments worth £300,000 for 30 fraudulent claims, recovered £25,000 for 2 of them as of the current date, meaning there is £275,000 outstanding for 28.
1b) In relation to the identified fraudulent claims, please can you break this information down in terms of what kind of fraud occurred (for example, but not limited to: 'organised fraud').
If you feel that a substantive response to this request is not possible within a reasonable time frame, or the request is too broad, I would be grateful if you could please contact me by email ([email address]) and provide assistance as to how I could refine the request.
Kind Regards,
Yohannes Lowe
Please accept this response as acknowledgement that your request has been
received by Northampton Borough Council. You will not normally receive
another communication until the Council responds to your request. Under
the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) and the Environmental
Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) the Council has 20 working days in
which to respond to your request. If you require any further information
regarding your request please contact Information Governance, The
Guildhall, Northampton, NN1 1DE. Tel 01604 838536 / 838841 or by
responding directly to this email.
Requests made for personal information under the General Data Protection
Regulations 2016 (GDPR) are called SAR’s (Subject Access Requests) and are
normally responded to within 28 days. However, the Council may contact you
for further information to clarify your request before it can begin
collating your personal data. If you require any further information
regarding your SAR or your rights under the GDPR please contact The Data
Protection Officer, The Guildhall, Northampton, NN1 1DE. Tel 01604 838536
To find out more about how the Council handles your personal data please
visit www.northampton.gov.uk/privacynotices
Please note that the contents of this e-mail, including any attachments
thereto, may contain information which is confidential or privileged, and
which is solely for the use of the recipient named above. The information
contained in this e-mail, and in your reply, may be subject to disclosure
under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or other legislation, and its
confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. If you are not the intended
recipient, please be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or
use of the contents of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. Northampton
Borough Council, The Guildhall, Northampton, United Kingdom, NN1 1DE +44
(0)300 330 7000 www.northampton.gov.uk
Good afternoon Mr Lowe
Please find attached the Council’s response to your recent FOI request.
Please note that Northampton Borough Council was replaced by the West
Northamptonshire Council on 1 April 2021. Please send all future requests
for information to [1][email address], alternatively you
can complete the form on our website: [2]Make a Freedom of Information
(FOI) request | West Northamptonshire Council (westnorthants.gov.uk)
With kind regards
Steph Everitt
Information Governance Officer
West Northamptonshire Council | The Guildhall | St Giles Square |
Northampton | NN1 1DE
[3]www.westnorthants.gov.uk
Follow us on Facebook & Twitter @westnorthants
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/your-co...
3. http://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/
Dear Data Requests,
Thanks very much for your response to my request (8043.437). It is much appreciated.
As originally requested, would you be so kind to please tell me how much money is outstanding, and how much has been recovered from the three overpayments (worth £75,000)?
What date were each of these overpayments paid (DD/MM/YYYY) and what government grant were they paid in relation to?
Best,
Yohannes
Please accept this response as acknowledgement that your request has been
received by West Northamptonshire Council. You will not normally receive
another communication until the Council responds to your request. Under
the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) and the Environmental
Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) the Council has 20 working days in
which to respond to your request. If you require any further information
regarding your request please contact Information Governance, One Angel
Square, Northampton, NN1 1ED or telephone 0300 126 7000 or by responding
directly to this email.
Requests made for personal information under the General Data Protection
Regulations 2016 (GDPR) are called SAR’s (Subject Access Requests) and are
normally responded to within 28 days. However, the Council may contact you
for further information to clarify your request before it can begin
collating your personal data. If you require any further information
regarding your SAR or your rights under the GDPR please contact The Data
Protection Officer, One Angel Square, Northampton, NN1 1ED or telephone
0300 126 7000 or by email [email address].
To find out more about how the Council handles your personal data please
visit [1]Information governance privacy notice | West Northamptonshire
Council (westnorthants.gov.uk)
References
Visible links
1. https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/service...
Good morning Mr Lowe
Please find attached the Council’s amended response to your recent FOI
request and additional information requested. The Council has made an
amendment to the information previously provided, please use this amended
FOI response with additional informaitom requested.
Please note that Northampton Borough Council was replaced by the West
Northamptonshire Council on 1 April 2021. Please send all future requests
for information to [1][email address], alternatively you
can complete the form on our website: [2]Make a Freedom of Information
(FOI) request | West Northamptonshire Council (westnorthants.gov.uk)
With kind regards
Steph Everitt
Information Governance Officer
West Northamptonshire Council | The Guildhall | St Giles Square |
Northampton | NN1 1DE
[3]www.westnorthants.gov.uk
Follow us on Facebook & Twitter @westnorthants
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/your-co...
3. http://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/
Dear Data Requests,
Thanks very much for your follow-up response to my request (8043437).
While the provided reply was helpful, it was not entirely clear on one aspect.
Would it be accurate, from your response, to say that there were 4 (not 3) overpayments over the requested period worth a total of £90,000, of which 70,000 is outstanding (2x £25,000 relating to RHL grants and 2x £10,000 relating to SBG).It is just that you have not made it clear what the figures you provided in Q1aa related to (whether this was the total outstanding or the total recovered). Please could you clarify.
Best,
Yohannes
Please accept this response as acknowledgement that your request has been
received by West Northamptonshire Council. West Northamptonshire Council
is a newly established organisation combining the previous district and
borough councils of Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire along
with Northamptonshire County Council. This change happened on 1st April
2021.
You will not normally receive another communication until the Council
responds to your request. Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI)
and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) the Council has
20 working days in which to respond to your request. If you require any
further information regarding your request please contact Information
Governance, One Angel Square, Northampton, NN1 1ED or telephone 0300 126
7000 or by responding directly to this email.
Requests made for personal information under the General Data Protection
Regulations 2016 (GDPR) are called SAR’s (Subject Access Requests) and are
normally responded to within 28 days. However, the Council may contact you
for further information to clarify your request before it can begin
collating your personal data. If you require any further information
regarding your SAR or your rights under the GDPR please contact The Data
Protection Officer, One Angel Square, Northampton, NN1 1ED or telephone
0300 126 7000 or by email [1][email address].
To find out more about how the Council handles your personal data please
visit [2]Information governance privacy notice | West Northamptonshire
Council (westnorthants.gov.uk)
West Northamptonshire Council
[3]www.westnorthants.gov.uk
Follow us on Facebook & Twitter @westnorthants
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/service...
3. http://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/
Good afternoon Mr Lowe
I apologies that our response was unclear, to confirm there have been 4
overpayments, totalling £70,000 (2x £25,000 relating to RHL grants and 2x
£10,000 relating to SBG) and I confirm that the full amount remains
outstanding at the present time.
With kind regards
Steph Everitt
Information Governance Officer
West Northamptonshire Council | The Guildhall | St Giles Square |
Northampton | NN1 1DE
[1]www.westnorthants.gov.uk
Follow us on Facebook & Twitter @westnorthants
Please accept this response as acknowledgement that your request has been
received by West Northamptonshire Council. West Northamptonshire Council
is a newly established organisation combining the previous district and
borough councils of Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire along
with Northamptonshire County Council. This change happened on 1st April
2021.
You will not normally receive another communication until the Council
responds to your request. Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI)
and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) the Council has
20 working days in which to respond to your request. If you require any
further information regarding your request please contact Information
Governance, One Angel Square, Northampton, NN1 1ED or telephone 0300 126
7000 or by responding directly to this email.
Requests made for personal information under the General Data Protection
Regulations 2016 (GDPR) are called SAR’s (Subject Access Requests) and are
normally responded to within 28 days. However, the Council may contact you
for further information to clarify your request before it can begin
collating your personal data. If you require any further information
regarding your SAR or your rights under the GDPR please contact The Data
Protection Officer, One Angel Square, Northampton, NN1 1ED or telephone
0300 126 7000 or by email [1][email address].
To find out more about how the Council handles your personal data please
visit [2]Information governance privacy notice | West Northamptonshire
Council (westnorthants.gov.uk)
West Northamptonshire Council
[3]www.westnorthants.gov.uk
Follow us on Facebook & Twitter @westnorthants
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/service...
3. http://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now