Report benefit fraud

You can report benefit fraud anonymously online or in other ways. You can also voluntarily disclose where you have committed benefit fraud. 

When reporting suspected benefit fraud online you will be asked for the name of the suspect, their address, and about the type of fraud you think they are committing. 

You can report suspected fraud anonymously. 

Report benefit fraud online

You make the report through the GOV.UK website. 

Report benefit fraud - GOV.UK

You will not find out the outcome of your report. Sometimes the person may have told us of their change of circumstance or they may not be committing fraud. If they are they may have benefits removed.

Other ways to report benefit fraud

If you cannot make a report online, you can also report benefit fraud to the National Benefit Fraud Hotline: 

• telephone: 0800 854 440
• textphone: 0800 328 0512
• link: video relay service for British Sign Language users
  • link: Guidance on how to use the service on YouTube
• post: 

National Benefit Fraud Hotline
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2BP

The National Benefit Fraud Hotline is open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Voluntary disclosure

Many people committing fraud will be aware of the ongoing campaign to stop people defrauding the system and worry about what they are doing. They may even want to come clean but are afraid of what will happen to them if they do.

The best course of action for someone committing benefit fraud is to make a voluntary disclosure, which means they voluntarily reveal a fraud we do not know about.

It is better for people to admit they have been committing a fraud than to wait for us to find out by other means. The Social Security Fraud Act 2001 allows access to information from banks and other institutions without the person's knowledge.

When someone makes a voluntary disclosure we still hold an investigation to obtain all the facts but consideration will be given to the fact the disclosure was made voluntarily.

How to contact us about benefit fraud

If you want to make a voluntary disclosure or talk to us about benefit fraud you can contact us at the contact details on this page.