The battle against fraud is heating up, and Herefordshire Council is leading the charge. Less than three years after launching its Counter Fraud Service, the team has been shortlisted for the highly-coveted "Local Excellence" award for the second year in a row. The results will be announced on February 22nd at the Public Sector Counter Fraud Awards 2023, and the competition is fierce.

With fraud accounting for up to 40 per cent of all crime and the risk of public sector fraud on the rise, the cost to Local Authorities in the UK is staggering—a whopping £7.8 billion annually. But Herefordshire is making strides in the fight against fraud.

In the latest annual counter fraud report presented to the audit and governance committee, the Herefordshire Counter Fraud Service reported its many successes. The team managed to identify £243,177 in recovered funds, money that can now be used to support those in the local community with genuine needs.

Prevention and collaboration. The Counter Fraud Service has increased training and awareness of fraud, integrated new fraud prevention technology, and launched a new Counter Fraud Platform on the Council's website, resulting in a 75 per cent increase in referrals from members of the public.

Cllr Liz Harvey, cabinet member for finance, corporate services, and planning said: “With the threat of fraud rising it is ever more important that we ensure Council support goes to those most in need. We can and will continue to protect public funds and to pursue all fraudsters. It is reassuring to know our Counter Fraud Service is amongst the best in the country”.