Revealed: £6m cost of benefits cheats in Sandwell
Benefit cheats in Sandwell got away with more than £6 million in overpayments after fiddling claims forms, new figures reveal.
Money was paid to hundreds of people who were not entitled to receive the payments during a 12 month period.
Benefit fraud, delays by people reporting changes of circumstances, claimants not filling out forms correctly and administrative errors by either Department for Work and Pensions or council staff all contributed to the overpayments.
The total bill of overpayments between April 2013 and March this year was £6,372,907.96.
It was up on the council's previous total of £6,328,377.73 during the 2012/13 financial year.
Councillor Steve Eling, deputy leader and cabinet member for strategic resources said: "The reason that the figures may seem high is because the council is meticulous at working to root out people who are making incorrect and fraudulent claims.
"We investigate claims about undeclared work, people living together, failing to declare income and make false income claims. People who try to make fraudulent applications for benefits should realise that we are working hard at rooting out these frauds.
"These people should remember that we will find them and recover the benefits they have claimed . The figure should be a warning to people that we are determined to track them down.
"People should remember that where a fraudulent claim is suspected, we will not hesitate to investigate and take action ourselves, or report it to the Department for Work and Pensions, to tackle this crime and recover the debt owed. "
Council leader Darren Cooper added: "Some of it is down to the worsening financial situation. It would be great to get to a position where people do not have to claim benefits but at the moment there are too many people struggling."
During the last 12 month the council received 144 calls about people receiving benefits they weren't entitled to, the figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show.
Although not all of the tip-offs led to an investigation.
The council says it always prosecutes the most serious cases of benefit fraud.
In September this year, Rashpal Kaur, of Europa Avenue, West Bromwich, was ordered to repay almost £225,000 within six months or face 32 months in jail.
She was convicted in May 2012 of 22 offences in relation to dishonestly claiming housing benefit, council tax benefit and carers allowance.
The offences also included money laundering and a perverting the course of justice charge.
