Fraud crackdown 'more important than ever', says council
With council budgets under growing strain, Ipswich Borough Council says catching fraud is now more critical than ever after its fraud team protected £5.1 million of public resources last year.
Why it matters: The Corporate Fraud Service supports the council's zero-tolerance approach to fraud and corruption, helping safeguard public resources and strengthen the council's financial resilience at a time when local government finances are under pressure.
The details: The council's annual Corporate Fraud report, presented to the Audit and Governance Committee this month, found officers identified £5,180,208 of irregularity during 2025/26.
- The largest contribution came from the council's Right to Buy due diligence work, which led to 26 applications being cancelled – preventing losses of £5,018,208 and keeping the properties in the council's housing stock.
- Cancelling Right to Buy applications through due diligence checks not only prevents financial loss but ensures homes remain available to meet local social housing need, while properties recovered from tenancy fraud can be reallocated to families with a genuine housing need.
- Tenancy fraud investigations led to the recovery of four social housing properties, saving a further £162,000.
What they're saying: Councillor Martin Cook, Ipswich Borough Council's Portfolio Holder for Resources, said: "These are excellent results once again from our Corporate Fraud Service. The prevention of fraudulent activity helps us to protect taxpayers' money and ensure that public resources are used for the benefit of our communities.
"With increasing pressure on local government finances and reduced funding from central government, it has never been more important for our Corporate Fraud Service to tackle fraud and protect services and support for those who genuinely need our help."
What's next: Residents who suspect fraud can report it to Ipswich Borough Council by calling 01473 433999, emailing fraud@ipswich.gov.uk or via www.ipswich.gov.uk/corporatefraud.
The bottom line: Ipswich Borough Council says its Corporate Fraud Service protected more than £5.1 million in public resources last year, with the bulk of the savings coming from stopping fraudulent Right to Buy applications – a result the council frames as increasingly vital given wider financial pressures on local authorities.
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