Huntingdonshire District Council’s Corporate Fraud Team has safeguarded more than £585,000 of public money during 2025/26 by identifying and tackling fraudulent activity, helping ensure valuable resources remain available for frontline services and local communities.
One of the most significant findings during the year was the identification of 105 cases of incorrectly claimed Single Person Discount on Council Tax, with a total value of £171,141. The council is now recovering these funds, helping ensure that residents pay the correct amount of council tax and that the system remains fair for everyone.
The Corporate Fraud Team also secured the recovery of eight social housing properties affected by tenancy fraud, enabling homes to be reallocated to local families and vulnerable residents who genuinely need them.
Public support continues to play an important role in helping the council tackle fraud. During 2025/26, referrals from members of the public increased to 159 reports, while online reports rose by 75%, demonstrating growing public confidence in reporting suspected fraud and helping to protect public funds.
The council has continued to strengthen its partnership approach to fraud prevention and detection. Through participation in the Cambridgeshire Fraud Initiative, the team identified 87 instances of fraud and uncovered significant council tax losses, helping to ensure a fairer system for honest residents.
Huntingdonshire District Council also actively takes part in the National Fraud Initiative, a national data-matching exercise that uses information from public and private sector organisations to detect fraud and error. This work helps identify cases that may otherwise go unnoticed and supports the effective use of public money.
Throughout the year, the Corporate Fraud Team also prevented fraudulent housing applications, recovered wrongly claimed council tax support and council tax discounts, and successfully concluded a Homes for Ukraine fraud investigation, which resulted in a prosecution.
Councillor Nathan Hunt, Portfolio Holder for Resident services and corporate performance, said:
"Fraud takes resources away from the services our residents rely on. Protecting more than £585,000 of public funds demonstrates the value of our Corporate Fraud Team’s work and helps ensure support reaches those who genuinely need it. We also thank residents who continue to report concerns and help us tackle fraud across Huntingdonshire.”
Residents who suspect fraud against the council can report concerns confidentially online, view our webpage.