Response A1346526
Response to request for information
Reference
A1346526
Response date
25 March 2022
Request
The questions I require answering are:
- Did your authority undertake an assessment in 2020 to determine the fraud risk in administering these specific Covid grants?
- What specific date was this assessment completed?
- What was determined to be the overall fraud risk rating (e.g., low, low-medium, medium, medium-high, high (based on probability and impact)) in administering these specific Covid grants at that time?
- How many staff processed these Covid grant claims?
- How many staff received counter-fraud training to identify suspected fraudulent Covid grant applications?
- Did these staff use the Spotlight tool as a matter of routine when processing these claims?
- Do you have a fraud investigations team that investigates Covid grant fraud?
- If not, does your internal audit team investigate Covid grant fraud?
- Do you employ external auditors or other investigators to investigate Covid grant fraud?
- How many officers investigated fraud in these specific Covid grant schemes?
- How many of these officers are Accredited Counter Fraud Specialists?
- How many Accredited Financial Investigators investigated fraud in these schemes?
- Was it at any time your Authorities practice to pay (whether by BACS, cheque, or other means) these grants directly to the businesses in scope without the need for the business to apply for the grant?
- Did businesses in scope for these grants need to complete an application form to determine their eligibility?
- What were the total number of applications received?
- What were the total number of applications paid?
- What is the total number of suspected fraudulent applications?
- How many of these have been identified by:
- A member of staff.
- A member of the public (which includes the business whose details have been used fraudulently).
- A Fraud Investigator.
- An Auditor.
- The Spotlight tool assisting in the identification.
- National Anti-Fraud Network (NAFN).
- National Investigation Service (NATIS).
- The police.
- Another local authority.
- A central government agency.
- Another fraud countermeasure.
- How many cases of suspected fraud regarding these specific Covid grants have been identified by the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) during their biennial data match?
- How many of these applications (from any source) have been referred to your fraud or internal audit team for investigation?
- How many of these applications have been investigated to the criminal standard?
- What is the total value of these grants paid to businesses in error?
- What is the total value of these grants paid to businesses due to suspected or proven fraud?
- What is the total value recovered of these fraudulently paid grants?
- How many cases involved the use of an Accredited Financial Investigator?
- How many cases resulted in the use of Restraint and other Court Orders to recover fraudulently paid Covid grants?
- How many cases of suspected Covid grant fraud appear to have involved serious or organised fraud?
- How many cases of suspected serious and organised Covid grant fraud have you passed to NATIS?
- How many intelligence reports of suspected Covid grant fraud have been passed to NAFN?
- How many of the total suspected fraudulent Covid grant applicants are likely to result in prosecution?
- In cases where fraud or error have been identified, will your Authority be liable to repay these funds to central government (whether the BEIS or other department)?
- Will your Authority be liable for any costs to recover grants that have been paid due to fraud or error?
- Is their financial or other assistance available from central government or other source to support your Authority in the recovery of these grants?