118 suspected frauds against Reddcar and Cleveland Council

The organisation Veritau, which provides a counter-fraud service to the local authority, also said 32 formal investigations took place in 2025/26.

A report for the council’s governance committee said: “These reports come from a range of sources, including council officers, members of the public, and data matching exercises. 

“Each referral is reviewed to determine if an investigation is necessary. 

“Where issues are raised relating to other organisations, such as the DWP, then our service passes the referral onto the relevant agency. 

“Cases are allocated in order of urgency, including consideration of the potential financial impact on the local authority, should the allegation be proven.”

It added: “We use qualified criminal investigators to support departments with fraud prevention, proactively identify issues through data matching exercises, and investigate suspected fraud. 

“To deter fraud, offenders face a range of outcomes, including prosecution in the most serious cases.”

The report did not detail the outcome of every investigation, but gave some examples of some outcomes.

It said: “Three [criminal] cautions were given to drivers, in lieu of prosecution, who admitted misusing blue badges in the Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council area. 

“In an adult social care investigation, the counter fraud team was able to suspend a family member’s inappropriate access to a [resident’s] bank account. 

“As a result, £55,000 in unpaid care fees is in the process of being recovered.

“Investigative work identified overpayments [to the public] of £80,000 in 2025/26 and 90 pedr cent of this related to issues identified in adult social care.”

Social care was the biggest council area in which suspected fraud was investigated with council tax payments the next biggest category.

Meanwhile, further work identified six members of council staff who were said to have a second, paid role at another public sector organisation, but who had failed to make HR aware.

The report said in all of the cases there were no indications of fraud risks or “concerns of polygamous working”, but the employees concerned were required to fill out relevant paperwork to fully explain their circumstances.