The National Fraud Initiative Report 2008/09 summarises the outcomes from the most recent phase of our National Fraud Initiative (NFI).

The NFI, the UK-wide antifraud programme, helped trace £215m in fraud, overpayments and errors in 2008/09. Since the initiative started in 1996, the programme has helped detect £664m. The figure for 2008/09 represents a 54 per cent increase on the figure of £140 million identified in the 2006/07 NFI exercise, reflecting well on the bodies that followed up effectively the matches given to them.

By using data from NHS bodies, local authorities and central government, the NFI Report 2008/09 exposed:

• Pension frauds and overpayments amounting to £78 million
• £56 million of council tax single person discount that was fraudulently or wrongfully received.
• 181 employees were dismissed or asked to resign because they had no right to work in the UK.
• 269 people were prosecuted.
• 21,534 concessionary travel permits and 16,535 blue badges were cancelled.
• 97 properties were recovered for social housing.