Benefit Fraud

Supported by:

Thursday October 14th 2010, Strand Palace - London, 09:00 - 16:00

Working in Partnership to Reduce Benefit Fraud

Overview

In tough economic times, the risk of fraud is high. The Report of the Smarter Government Public Sector Fraud Taskforce, published March 2010, estimated that the total scale of fraud against the public sector amounts to some £25 billion per year. This comprises £18 billion of losses in tax through fraud and £7 billion of fraud against public sector expenditure, including social security benefits.

According to the Audit Commission, ‘Protecting the Public Purse’ report, published September 2009, councils are losing millions of pounds a week through fraud and should be doing much more to crack down. The Audit Commission found housing tenancy fraud could be tying up at least 50,000 council and housing association properties worth more than £2 billion. Council taxpayers could be losing almost £2 million a week to fraudsters claiming a 25 per cent single person discount on their council tax.

The latest national statistics on Fraud and Error in the Benefit System: October 2008 to September 2009, produced by the Department for Work and Pensions were released on 27th May 2010. For 2009/10, it is estimated that 2.1 per cent, or £3.1bn, of total benefit expenditure was overpaid due to fraud and error. The preliminary estimate of total overpayments due to fraud and error across all benefits is £3.1bn, which is 2.1% of 2009/10 total benefit expenditure, which is forecast to be £148bn in 2009/10.

In order to reduce the scope of fraud and error, the new coalition government has introduced the Welfare Reform Bill which will make the benefits system simpler and reduce unnecessary administration of benefits.

Agenda

09:00	Registration and Coffee
09:50	Chair’s Welcome Address Lord Archy Kirkwood, Former Chair, Work and Pensions Select Committee (CONFIRMED)
09:55	Keynote Address: Reducing Fraud in the Benefit System: Developments in Fraud Detection and Prevention The impact of recession on benefit fraud Improving identification of fraud and error in existing benefit claims Improving the sanction rate for DWP's fraud investigation service Providing the opportunity for substantial efficiency savings Centralising the processing of all benefits Voice risk analysis (VRA) systems – an aid in combating fraud? Predictive/innovative analytics Housing benefit risk assurance tool David Barr, Head of Fraud and Error Strategy, Department for Work and Pensions (CONFIRMED)
10:15	Protecting the Public Purse: fighting fraud against local government and local taxpayers Protecting the Public Purse 2010, the key messages : Detected fraud in local government 2009 and 2010 Adequately addressing housing tenancy fraud and single person discounts on council tax fraud Alan Bryce, Senior Manager - Counter Fraud, Audit Commission (CONFIRMED)
10:35	Preventing Fraud in the Public Sector Taking forward the Smarter Government Public Sector Fraud Taskforce report recommendations Designing fraud out of new online systems Placing more emphasis on fraud prevention What lessons can we learn from the private sector in tackling fraud Areas of good practice The future of the counter-fraud agenda in the public sector Piers Harrison, Head of Public Sector Fraud, National Fraud Authority (CONFIRMED)
10:55	Sponsor Session: Prevention of Fraud and Benefit abuse with SAS An analytical approach to detect and prevent fraud Learning lessons from the private sector Two real examples using an analytical approach Laurie Miles, Head of Analytics, SAS UK (CONFIRMED)
11:15	Questions and Answers Session
11:30	Coffee and Networking
11:55	Data Handling and Exchange Access to data and increased facilities for matching of data to help combat fraud Balancing information sharing with necessity and proportionality Determining ‘appropriate’ security Compatibility with current data legislation Limits to data usage, exchange and matching for anti-fraud purposes Iain Bourne, Group Manager - Policy Delivery, Information Commissioner’s Office (CONFIRMED)
12:15	Sponsor Session: Translating private sector lessons on fraud into public sector successes Credit Reference Agencies and the data they hold Fraud Prevention lessons from the Private Sector Reducing operational costs whilst improving claimant experience Spotting changes in claimants circumstances John Cannon, Head of Product Strategy, Callcredit (CONFIRMED)
12:35	Questions and Answers Session
12:45	Lunch and Networking
13:45	Progress in Tackling Benefit Fraud Tackling fraud during a time of economic uncertainty Assessing the cost effectiveness of different measures to tackle fraud Value for money interventions What progress has been taken in tackling benefit fraud? Good practice in tackling fraud Mark Babington, Director and Head of the Fraud Practice Network, National Audit Office (CONFIRMED)
14:05	Tackling Unlawful Subletting and Occupancy Good practice guidance for social landlords Encourage all landlords to develop an improved awareness of the existing levels of tenancy misuse and unlawful subletting within their own stock Challenging landlords to address unlawful subletting and build capacity How to build a strong case to achieve a positive judgment Increasing levels of partnership working between local authorities, housing associations and other landlords at a local level to establish the most efficient and cost-effective methods of managing unlawful subletting Development of cost analysis information Complying with the Audit Commission key lines of enquiry (KLOE) Joanne Kent-Smith, Senior Policy and Practice Officer, Chartered Institute of Housing (CONFIRMED)
14:25	Questions and Answers Session
14:40	Coffee and Networking
15:00	Strengthening Partnerships and Building an Integrated Approach to Tackle Benefit Fraud Determining robust and clear governance to mitigate and combat fraud across your organisation and partnership Building strong relations and anti-fraud procedures Corporate vs Fragmented Teams Simon Lane, Head of Audit and Investigation, Brent Council (CONFIRMED)
15.20	Investigating and Prosecuting Benefit Fraud Preventing and detecting fraud Investigating efficiently Stopping or reducing payment in fraudulent cases Prosecuting offenders where appropriate David Clarke, Chair, The Local Authority Investigation Officers Group (CONFIRMED)
15:40	Questions and Answers Session
16:00	Close

* programme subject to change without notice

Sponsors:

Exhbitors:

Audience

Delegates will include fraud managers and officers, benefit fraud managers, benefit fraud investigation managers, heads of fraud and error policy, revenue managers, treasurers, auditors, corporate fraud managers, performance and audit managers, finance directors, compliance managers, risk managers, information assurance managers, solicitors, barristers, heads of housing, social landlords, heads of child services, employment managers, and will be drawn from central government, jobcentre plus, local government, housing associations, health authorities, legal teams, financial services, academia, and the private sector.

Benefit Fraud

Supported by:

Thursday October 14th 2010, Strand Palace - London, 09:00 - 16:00

Working in Partnership to Reduce Benefit Fraud

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