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Audit Commission > National Fraud Initiative > Public sector > Case studies – Public Sector > Pensions case studies

Pensions case studies

Peterborough City Council

2010/11

A NFI match between housing benefit and armed forces pension data helped Peterborough City Council secure a conviction against a man who had fraudulently claimed over £16,000 in housing and council tax benefit. The man had failed to declare he was receiving an Armed Forces pension when completing the application.

The man pleaded guilty to benefit fraud and was given a three-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay the money back.

Civil Service Pension Scheme

2008/09

As a result of the NFI pensions to deceased person’s data matching, the Civil Service Pension Scheme identified a pensioner who had died in January 2007. Upon investigation, it was found that the scheme had not been informed of the death but had been contacted in June 2007 to amend bank account details and divert the pension payment into a different bank account. This was actioned after all the appropriate security checks had been completed. The pension has been suspended and the case forwarded to the police for investigation. The total overpayment equated to around £6,300.

Armed Forces Pensions

2008/09

As a result of the pensions to deceased person’s data matching the Armed Forces pension scheme identified a pensioner whose death they had not been informed of. The overpayment totalled nearly £19,000 and the pension scheme was able to recover almost £13,000 from the pensioners bank account. However the remaining £6,000 had already been withdrawn from the account via an ATM machine. The case has been passed to the police for investigation.

Wakefield Council

2008/09

Investigation of a NFI housing benefit to payroll pensions match by Wakefield Council found that a housing benefit claimant had been in receipt of an Armed Forces pension which commenced in 1987, but which he had not declared. This resulted in the claimant receiving over £22,000 worth of benefits that he was not entitled to. The claimant pleaded guilty in court and was sentenced to 80 hours community service and ordered to pay £100 costs. The judge also applied a curfew order. The overpayment is being recovered from ongoing benefit.