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
Dear Yohannes Lowe
We write to advise that there will unfortunately be a delay in responding
to your FOI request as we would usually aim to; due to competing
priorities within our statutory and financial year end duties and impact
on officer resources due to the ongoing pandemic. Please do accept our
sincere apologise for this delay. The Council aims to respond as soon as
we are able to.
The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) is aware that people may
experience understandable delays when making FOIs, EIRs or SARs during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
[1]https://www.wirral.gov.uk/about-council/...
[2]https://ico.org.uk/global/data-protectio...
We therefore ask for your continued patience and understanding in relation
to your accepted enquiry.
Yours sincerely
Tracy O'Hare
Information Management Officer
Wirral Council
PO Box 290
Brighton Street
Wallasey
CH27 9FQ
Email:[3][Wirral Borough Council request email]
Visit our website: [4]www.wirral.gov.uk
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Dear Yohannes Lowe
Further to your FOI enquiry regarding covid related Government grant
scheme fraud, please see Wirral Council's response below.
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? - Overpayments
identified = 17
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').
3 x due to a payment error
7 x ineligible claim
7 x due to multiple claims.
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. –
3 x payment error, total overpayment raised £30,000 / total repaid
£30,000.
7 x ineligible claims, overpayment raised £70,000 / total repaid £9,000
7 x due to multiple claims , overpayment raised £70,000 / total repaid
£41,266.65
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'). –
7 x Application/s received were there applicant failed to meet the
criteria for the award and was not liable for business rates as defined by
the scheme. As such a false statement was made to the Council.
7 x Multiple applications made for the same business and premises.
Yours sincerely
Lynette Paterson
Principal Information Management Officer
Wirral Council
PO Box 290
Brighton Street
Wallasey
CH27 9FQ
Email: [1][Wirral Borough Council request email]
Visit our website: [2]www.wirral.gov.uk
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager.
References
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1. mailto:[Wirral Borough Council request email]
2. http://www.wirral.gov.uk/
Hello Lynette,
Thanks very much for your response to my request re Covid grants. It is much appreciated.
Would it be accurate from your response to say that the 17 overpayments were worth £170,000, of which £89,733.35 is outstanding?
Could you please tell me the months over which the overpayments were paid, and break down the 17 overpayments (numerically) in terms of the name of the government grant scheme they were paid in relation to.
Would it be accurate to say there were 14 (of 17 total) fraudulent overpayments over the requested period?
If not, please would you be so kind to tell me the correct figure.
What was the total amount (£) of the fraudulent overpayments? How much of this total is outstanding?
Can you please clarify what "payment error" means.
Best,
Yohannes
Dear Yohannes Lowe
Further to your follow up enquiry, please see the Council’s response
below.
Could you please tell me the months over which the overpayments were paid,
and break down the 17 overpayments (numerically) in terms of the name of
the government grant scheme they were paid in relation to.
Retail hospitality and Leisure = 3
Small Business rate relief = 14
Recovery of these overpayments commenced September 2020 and is ongoing.
Would it be accurate to say there were 14 (of 17 total) fraudulent
overpayments over the requested period? Yes this is correct
What was the total amount (£) of the fraudulent overpayments? How much of
this total is outstanding? - The information as at 26/05/21 includes a
further 2 invoices raised ,one for each scheme both £10,000. Total
overpayments raised to 26/05/21 becomes £190,000 and total recovered
£121,300 total outstanding £68,700.
Can you please clarify what "payment error" means. - A payment error is
where there is no fraudulent intent and the claimant was paid twice in
error.
Yours sincerely
Lynette Paterson
Principal Information Management Officer
Wirral Council
PO Box 290
Brighton Street
Wallasey
CH27 9FQ
Email: [1][Wirral Borough Council request email]
Visit our website: [2]www.wirral.gov.uk
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Wirral Borough Council request email]
2. http://www.wirral.gov.uk/
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