Link magazine, Spring 2008 [PDF, 4,450k] - South Norfolk Council

Out & Aboutin beautiful South NorfolkThe Royal Norfolk Show isthe UK’s largest two-dayagricultural show with over600 trade stands and a fiveyear average attendance ofover 90,000 people. Don’tmiss this year’s event on 25& 26 June 2008. Visit:www.royalnorfolkshow.co.ukPicture byPeter RowanPicture byMalcom WatsonBillingford WindmillPicture byMartin GuyReady for the Royal NorfolkShow JudgesC r i cket M at ch atT a co lnes to nBy now you willhave receivedyour new CouncilTax bills and Ihope that you were pleasedto notice that South NorfolkCouncil has frozen its levy fornext year.At a time when manyhousehold bills are rising,I am proud to have fixedCouncil Tax at last year’slevel by running the councilin a more business-likeand efficient manner. Butfreezing the tax doesn’tmean we have made cuts.Quite the reverse! Next yearwe’re spending more onour top priorities: recycling,fighting anti-social behaviour,and building more lowcosthousing in our ruralvillages and also improvingthe cultural and economicrichness of our district.The progress we havemade since May hasbeen recognised bythe independent AuditCommission, who haveofficially graded us as an“Excellent” council, the onlyone in Norfolk. In particularthe Commission praised ourfresh emphasis on customerservice including our newfreephone numbers that makeit easy for you to get in touchwith us.Despite all this, theGovernment has decided toreorganise local government.Such a move will cost afortune and divert effortfrom serving you. Someof our residents face theprospect of being merged intoNorwich. The Governmentseems hell-bent on anotherreorganisation and we’ll beworking hard to get the bestdeal for local residents asyour familiar Councils arerecycled into new authorities.5Leader’s LetterBenefit Fraud CrackdownThe Benefits Team aredetermined to stay at the topof their field cracking down onbenefit fraud in South Norfolk.The fraud investigation teamdeal with over 30 cases ofsuspected fraud a monthand in the last financial yearidentified over £240,000 infraudulently claimed benefits.We ask you to come forwardand report suspected benefitcheats on our fraud hotlinenumber freephone 0800389 6109 . All calls areinvestigated and you canremain anonymous if youwish to.A recent successful casehandled by the team:A 28-year-old female benefitsclaimant was referred as partof a joint investigation by theDepartment for Work andPensions and South NorfolkCouncil. The allegationwas that she had beenliving with her partner whowas working full time. Aninvestigation was conductedand she was subsequentlyinterviewed under cautionwhere she denied ‘livingtogether as husband andwife’ with the allegedpartner. An adjudicationofficer decided she had beenoverpaid £8,815 HousingBenefit, £1,840, CouncilTax Benefit and £13,362Income Support. She wasprosecuted and sentencedto six-months’ imprisonment.She is repaying the overpaidbenefits.This financial year:Investigations: 384Number where overpaid: 185Amount overpaid: £240,000Outcomes:5 prosecuted15 Administrative Penalty(similar to a fine)28 Formally Cautioned