FRAUD investigators working for Swindon Borough Council’s audit department have saved the taxpayer nearly £1m.

The actual and notional savings made by the team’s investigations into false claims for benefits and council tax relief at the end of February, 11 months into the current financial year, total £975,795.

Many of the false or fraudulent claims are around housing.

Three fraudulent right to buy applications have been stopped, resulting in £220,000 being saved and an investigation into vacant properties discovered that nearly 300 occupied properties were found, meaning the new homes bonus due to the council from the government should be £204,000.

Bogus housing applications were stopped with a nominal saving of £162,000 and £25,970 of housing benefit overpayment or fraud has been identified.

An additional £84,000 of council tax has also been billed to people who were found to have been wrongly claiming single person’s discount.

The council’s audit committee meets on Tuesday.