Recommendation 21

Local authorities are responsible for managing Housing Benefit claims in their areas and while some have the resources to check individual claims for fraud, many do not. DWP told us that while some local authorities are taking action on fraud, it is concerned that there are local authorities that are not able to, or have not been doing so.41 We have highlighted in other recent reports the limited capacity of local authorities to tackle fraud and stressed the need for central government to provide better support.42 The LGA reported to us that whilst local authorities can use powers under the Housing Benefit regulations to restrict unreasonable exempt accommodation rent increases in limited circumstances, the significant practical difficulties with doing so means that this rarely happens.43