An East Devon resident repaid in full more than £25,000 of falsely claimed Council Tax Reduction, alongside a £1,000 penalty, following a fraud investigation into an undeclared change in household circumstances.
The case is one of the largest Council Tax Reduction fraud investigations resolved by East Devon District Council (EDDC) in recent years. In 2025/2026, EDDC received 112 allegations of fraud, and recovered around £220,000 through these investigations and proactive investigation work. Approximately £180,000 was linked to Council Tax Reductions and Discounts.
In this case, the resident involved admitted that they had failed to report to EDDC that an additional person was living in the house for more than 10 years, which made them ineligible for the discount. Due to the residents’ cooperation during the investigation, and their willingness to pay, the council issued a financial penalty, rather than pursuing prosecution.
EDDC recognises the importance of supporting low-income residents with help towards their council tax and supports more than 8,000 working and pension age households. However, it’s important that residents inform the council if their circumstances change, as they may no longer be eligible for as much council tax discount. This ensures that financial support can be targeted to those who need it most, and vital local services can be funded properly.
Of every £1 of Council Tax collected in East Devon:
- 73p goes to Devon County Council to provide services including education, roads, care for older people and people with disabilities, child protection, youth services, libraries, recycling centres, and waste disposal
- 12p goes to Devon and Cornwall Police
- 7p goes to EDDC to provide services including refuse collection, kerbside recycling, homeless and private sector housing services, planning, street cleaning and leisure
- 4p goes to Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue
- 4p goes to Town and Parish councils to provide other local services
Councillor Sam Hawkins, EDDC’s Portfolio Holder for Finance, said:
“The council takes its responsibility to safeguard public money extremely seriously. I’d like to thank the Fraud & Compliance, Benefits, Council Tax Recovery, and Legal teams, whose co-operation led to this successful outcome, ensuring financial support is awarded fairly.”
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