Making False Statements in order to Defraud

fFaudwAtch UK made this Freedom of Information request to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

The request was successful.

Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,

I have provided the following to assist in the setting out my FoI request.

A GUIDE TO THE HOUSING AND COUNCIL TAX BENEFIT PROSECUTION POLICY
https://www.wirral.gov.uk/sites/default/...

In respect of a claimant making a false statement to fraudulently obtain benefit under Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit schemes, the policy sets out the criteria for the council in considering whether to impose (or offer) an "Administrative penalty", "Formal Caution" or submit the case for prosecution.

I would like to know if a similar policy exists relating to employees of the council who make false statements to fraudulently obtain money from Wirral residents. If so please disclose it.

There is an opportunity for the council to see an example in the link below:

https://www.scribd.com/doc/291919613/Per...

Yours faithfully,

fFaudwAtch UK

John H Hutchinson left an annotation ()

Isn't this is a Police matter?

fFaudwAtch UK (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

John,

You would think it was, but apparently not:

https://www.scribd.com/doc/298599786/Sec...

John H Hutchinson left an annotation ()

Well, now!

Isn't that interesting?

So, is wdtk.com your only recourse?

InfoMgr, FinDMT, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Sir/Madam

 

Thank you for your recent request made under the Freedom of Information
Act, which has been received by Wirral Borough Council.

 

In accordance with Section 8 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, a
requester should provide their name for a request to be processed (please
see the guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office below):

 

What constitutes a real name?

We consider that a relatively informal approach is also appropriate in
this context. Therefore, title and/or first name with surname satisfies
the requirement for provision of a real name, as does the use by a female
applicant of her maiden name. The prime consideration is whether enough of
a person’s full name has been provided to give a reasonable indication of
that person’s identity.

 

Example:

Mr Arthur Thomas Roberts could satisfy Section 8(1)(b) of the FOIA by
stating his name in a request for information as “Arthur Roberts”, “A. T.
Roberts”, or “Mr Roberts”, but not by stating his name as “Arthur” or
“A.T.R.”

 

In most cases, it will be reasonable for a real name to comprise a name by
which the person making the request is widely known and/or is regularly
used by that person and which is not an obvious pseudonym or fictitious
name.

 

Once Wirral Borough Council are in receipt of your full name, your request
will be passed to the relevant department and we will aim to issue a
substantive response within 20 working days.

 

Yours Sincerely,

 

Tracy O'Hare

Information Management Officer

Legal Services

Wallasey Town Hall

Brighton Street
Wallasey
Wirral
CH44 8ED 

Transformation and Resources

[1][Wirral Borough Council request email]

 

 

[2]LGC Awards15_Winner_MIP

 

This information supplied to you is copyrighted and continues to be
protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.   You are free
to use it for your own purposes, including any non commercial research you
are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any other reuse, for
example commercial publication, would require our specific permission, may
involve licensing and the application of a charge

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: fFaudwAtch UK [mailto:[FOI #318985 email]]
Sent: 28 February 2016 16:03
To: InfoMgr, FinDMT
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Making False Statements in order
to Defraud

 

 

     Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,

    

     I have provided the following to assist in the setting out my FoI

     request.

    

     A GUIDE TO THE HOUSING AND COUNCIL TAX BENEFIT PROSECUTION POLICY

    
[3]https://www.wirral.gov.uk/sites/default/...

    

     In respect of a claimant making a false statement to fraudulently

     obtain benefit under Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

     schemes, the policy sets out the criteria for the council in

     considering whether to impose (or offer) an "Administrative

     penalty", "Formal Caution" or submit the case for prosecution.

    

     I would like to know if a similar policy exists relating to

     employees of the council who make false statements to fraudulently

     obtain money from Wirral residents. If so please disclose it.

    

     There is an opportunity for the council to see an example in the

     link below:

    

     [4]https://www.scribd.com/doc/291919613/Per...

    

     Yours faithfully,

    

     fFaudwAtch UK

    

     -------------------------------------------------------------------

    

     Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

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     Is [6][Wirral Borough Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom

     of Information requests to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council? If

     so, please contact us using this form:

    
[7]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

    

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     published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

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     For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read

     the latest advice from the ICO:

     [9]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

    

     If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your

     web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

    

     

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References

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1. mailto:[Wirral Borough Council request email]
3. https://www.wirral.gov.uk/sites/default/...
4. https://www.scribd.com/doc/291919613/Per...
5. mailto:[FOI #318985 email]
6. mailto:[Wirral Borough Council request email]
7. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...
8. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
9. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

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Dear InfoMgr, FinDMT,

Thanks.

Yours sincerely,

fFaudwAtch UK

fFaudwAtch UK (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

" So, is wdtk.com your only recourse? "

I think it's a natural progression for many people to carry out their own investigations via FoI, after a public body fails them and then the governing body put in place to address those failures also fails them.

Dear InfoMgr, FinDMT,

I don't have any objection to providing my name, however, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council should really get with it and think about the nature of Freedom of Information requests which are applicant blind.

Yours sincerely,

fFaudwAtch UK Aka N Gilliatt

Rossell Conner left an annotation ()

The requirement to provide a full name is set out in Legislation; it's not the case of Wirral Council arbitraily insisting that requestors provide a full name....

Maybe you shoud direct your frustration to Central Government instead?

InfoMgr, FinDMT, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Sir/Madam

Wirral Council thanks you for your request.

Wirral Council has an Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy. The Council has a
zero tolerance policy to all fraud whether perpetrated by Councillors,
employees, suppliers, contractors or service users. This document sets out
the Council’s policy in relation to countering Fraud and Corruption across
all Council services except Housing Benefit.  The Council has a separate
policy which specifically deals with Housing Benefit fraud, which can be
viewed on the Council website.

Benefit Fraud is on the following page:

[1]https://www.wirral.gov.uk/benefits-and-m...

We trust you find this information of assistance.

Yours sincerely

Tracy O'Hare

Information Management Officer

Legal Services

Wallasey Town Hall

Brighton Street
Wallasey
Wirral
CH44 8ED 

Transformation and Resources

[2][Wirral Borough Council request email]

[3]ole0

This information supplied to you is copyrighted and continues to be
protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.   You are free
to use it for your own purposes, including any non commercial research you
are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any other reuse, for
example commercial publication, would require our specific permission, may
involve licensing and the application of a charge

-----Original Message-----

From: fFaudwAtch UK [[4]mailto:[FOI #318985 email]]

Sent: 28 February 2016 16:03

To: InfoMgr, FinDMT

Subject: Freedom of Information request - Making False Statements in order
to Defraud

     Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,

    

     I have provided the following to assist in the setting out my FoI

     request.

    

     A GUIDE TO THE HOUSING AND COUNCIL TAX BENEFIT PROSECUTION POLICY

    
[5]https://www.wirral.gov.uk/sites/default/...

    

     In respect of a claimant making a false statement to fraudulently

     obtain benefit under Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

     schemes, the policy sets out the criteria for the council in

     considering whether to impose (or offer) an "Administrative

     penalty", "Formal Caution" or submit the case for prosecution.

    

     I would like to know if a similar policy exists relating to

     employees of the council who make false statements to fraudulently

     obtain money from Wirral residents. If so please disclose it.

    

     There is an opportunity for the council to see an example in the

     link below:

    

    
[6]https://www.scribd.com/doc/291919613/Per...

    

     Yours faithfully,

    

     fFaudwAtch UK

    

     -------------------------------------------------------------------

    

     Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

     [7][FOI #318985 email]

    

     Is [8][Wirral Borough Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom

     of Information requests to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council? If

     so, please contact us using this form:

    
[9]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

    

     Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be

     published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

     [10]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

    

     For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read

     the latest advice from the ICO:

     [11]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

    

     If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your

     web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

    

    

     -------------------------------------------------------------------

**********************************************************************

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.

This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by

MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses.

www.clearswift.com

**********************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. https://www.wirral.gov.uk/benefits-and-m...
2. mailto:[Wirral Borough Council request email]
4. mailto:[FOI #318985 email]
5. https://www.wirral.gov.uk/sites/default/...
6. https://www.scribd.com/doc/291919613/Per...
7. mailto:[FOI #318985 email]
8. mailto:[Wirral Borough Council request email]
9. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...
10. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
11. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

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