Social Care
Social care fraud with misused payments, deprived vulnerable, and stolen public funds
People can receive Social care paid for by the Council based on their needs, providing they meet the required criteria. Payments for care can be made by the Council commissioning services, or by making direct payments to the individual or a family member can chose who delivers their care.
Fraud in Council Social Care is a high-risk area. In 2020 the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) estimated there was £13.7 million of fraud in Social care with the average case worth £29,000.
This fraud takes funds away from the public purse and may also mean a vulnerable person in need of care is deprived of services they need and are entitled to.
Examples of fraud in Social Care:
- Financial abuse of a vulnerable person by a family member or person with power of attorney who exploits them taking money, property, belongings, for their own personal use without their knowledge or permission
- Direct payment fraud - a family member takes the money the Council pays them for care for a relative and they use it or some of it to gamble, or buy expensive clothes for themselves
- Using the money personally received for care for other items or experiences not in the care plan
- Failure to disclose a change in circumstances such as recovering or improving from a debilitating illness
- Exaggerating or lying about the need for care, or about the level of care needed
- Failing to declare full income or assets
- Providing false invoices for care expenses
- Dishonestly dissipating capital, or giving money away as gifts to avoid paying for care
- Continuing to claim for direct payment care funds or providing a service relating to care when have stopped working for the person or they have passed away
- Receiving funding from the Council for care however mainly live abroad
- Obtaining financial assistance for care from more than one Council at the same time
