News in Brief - 8 April
Benefit fraud needs action
Local authorities and the social security department have made significant progress in the fight against housing benefit fraud, but further action is needed, according to two reports released by the Audit Commission and the National Audit Office today. More than #11bn of housing benefit is paid by councils to almost five million people a year and the DSS estimates that during 1997/1998, more than #800m, 7% of expenditure, was paid out in error. Only half of local councils have established corporate anti-fraud strategies.
