A council crackdown on fraud has recovered more than half a million pounds in false and incorrect benefits and tax reduction claims.
Hartlepool Borough Council has reclaimed more than 500,000 following an investigation into false claims for the Single Person Discount (SPD) on Council Tax, as well as improper claims for Council Tax Reduction, Housing Benefit, and Universal Credit.
The SPD provides a 25 per cent reduction in Council Tax for properties occupied by only one adult.
Councillor Graham Harrison, who now plans to step down as leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said: "We are committed to ensuring that everyone who is entitled to financial support receives it, and we actively encourage residents to claim all the benefits and discounts they are legitimately entitled to.
"We understand that some claims can be made incorrectly but in good faith.
"However, we will not stand by while a minority choose to deliberately abuse the system for their own gain, and we make absolutely no apology for taking a robust approach to tackling fraud."
The council began investigating SPD claims in April, resulting in a reduction of 944 discounts.
This equates to an annual saving of more than 402,000, based on the lowest Band A SPD rate of 426.15 per property.
Additional savings of 140,000 a year have been identified through investigations into Council Tax Reduction and Housing Benefit claims in the last four months alone.
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