County tackles rising benefit fraud

Denbighshire County Council is cracking down on benefit fraud, which has risen up by almost 100% in four years.

In 2012-13 investigations by the authority's Benefit Compliance Section resulted in a total of 160 sanctions against benefit claimants who had made false statements to claim Housing and Council Tax Benefit, or who had failed to promptly notify a change which affected their benefit.

Many of the cases were investigated in conjunction with the Department of Works and Pensions investigation service. This is an increase of almost 100% in four years.

Whilst the most serious cases were prosecuted, the section also offered a number of cautions and Administrative Penalties as an alternative to prosecution.

Where these were declined the cases were referred for prosecution.

An Administrative Penalty is a fine imposed on the total overpayment of 30%, which has recently been increased by legislation to 50%.

The council can now also impose a Civil Penalty (£50 in Benefit cases and £70 in Council Tax Reduction cases) in instances where a claimant has negligently made an incorrect statement and failed to take reasonable steps to correct the error, failed to provide information requested or failed to report a change in circumstances, without reasonable excuse.

As well as conducting investigations into benefit offences the section is also proactive in using all appropriate measures to recover Housing Benefit Overpayments. 

One of the cases which the council investigated with the DWP featured recently on BBC’s Saints and Scroungers programme.

A query was received from a London Borough about a disabled parking permit in London which was registered to a property in Denbighshire.

Enquiries in Denbighshire raised suspicions and the case  was referred to the DWP Organised Fraud Team.

As a result it was discovered that a person was using two identities and claiming from a number of properties in Wales, Manchester and London.

The false claims against various authorities amounted to over £150,000 in ten years. A Proceeds of Crime Order was made against him and to date Denbighshire have recovered over £5,000 of their debt.

Other significant cases included -

A claimant failed to declare capital from the sale of his father’s house and received a sentence of 30 months.

A nurse received a 12 month community order after failing to disclose that her husband was living with her.

A number of  claimants were found guilty of failing to promptly report a change in their circumstances which affected their benefits.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance, said: "The majority of residents comply with the law. However, there is a minority of people who defraud the system by claiming public money they are not entitled to.

"To them, our message is clear. If you willingly defraud the Council, we will take action. Residents who only claim what they are entitled to have absolutely nothing to fear."

Llan hosts Friendly Walking Weekend

 

 

Llangollen is playing host to a Friendly Walking Weekend this Saturday and Sunday.

 

Those wishing to take party can choose from short, medium and long challenging walks all led by professional guides who will share their local knowledge of colourful history, heritage and folklore whilst guiding you through some of the most beautiful countryside in North Wales.

The programme, organised by Treksmart, is:

Saturday, May 4:

Walk 1: SHORT, 2 hours.

ONE FOOT IN THE PAST - HISTORIC TOWN WALK

 

Walk Leader is Green Badge Guide Sarah Jones.

This walk is a real learning journey around Llangollen town centre where Sarah brings the history people and places to life.

START 10.30am outside the Tourist Information Centre, Castle Street LL20 8NU.

Price £5.00        

Children under 5 years free.

Sorry NO DOGS.

Please join your walk leader 15 minutes before the start time.

Walk 2: SHORT, 3 hours.

HISTORY IN THE LANDSCAPE WALK

 

Walk Leader is Green Badge Guide Sarah Jones.

Including stories of Valle Crucis Abbey, Castell Dinas Bran, a romantic castle ruin (some steep climbs).

START 2.00pm outside the Tourist Information Centre, Castle Street LL20 8NU.

Price £5.00.

 

Children under 5 years free.

Sorry NO DOGS also. NOT suitable for pushchairs.

Please join your walk leader 15 minutes before the start time.

Walk 3: MEDIUM 7 miles (approx 4 hours) .

ROMANTIC RUINS & STUNNING VIEWS

 

Walk Leader is Green Badge Guide Chris Grier

START 10.30am outside the Tourist Information Centre, Castle Street LL20 8NU.

Heading north and taking in views of Valle Crucis Abbey ruins, a rewarding section of Offa's Dyke Path, climb up along side a pretty waterfall, a cliff-top walk with distant views and… Castell Dinas Bran, a romantic castle ruin.

Price £7.00.

 

Dogs welcome, providing the owner takes care of the dog’s every need.

Wear good comfortable walking boots, bring your waterproofs (just in case), plus lunch and drinks.

Please join your walk leader 15 minutes before the start time.

Walk 4: LONG and challenging 14 miles ( approx 8 hours).

GET HIGH IN THE DEE VALLEY

 

Walk Leader is Mountain Leader trained Mike Smart.

START 9.00am outside the Tourist Information Centre, Castle Street LL20 8NU.  

This walk includes walking across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Thomas Telford's 1805, 1037ft long and 127ft high industrial masterpiece which spans the Dee Valley carrying the Llangollen canal.

Visit Trevor Canal Basin, the Panorama huge limestone cliffs offering fantastic views up and down the valley and Castell Dinas Bran, a romantic castle ruin. 

Price £9.00.

 

Dogs welcome, providing the owner takes care of the dog’s every need.

Wear good comfortable walking boots, bring your waterproofs (just in case), plus food / lunch and drinks. There will be snacks available half-way round at Trevor Basin.

Sunday, May 5:

Walk 5: SHORT, 2 hours.

ONE FOOT IN THE PAST - HISTORIC TOWN WALK
 

Walk Leader is Green Badge Guide Sarah Jones.

This walk is a real learning journey around Llangollen town centre where Sareh brings the history people and places to life.

START 10.30am outside the Tourist Information Centre, Castle Street LL20 8NU.

Price £5.00.

Children under 5 years free.

Sorry NO DOGS.

Please join your walk leader 15 minutes before the start time.

Walk 6: SHORT, 3 hours.

HISTORY IN THE LANDSCAPE WALK
 

Walk Leader is Green Badge Guide Sarah Jones.Including stories of Valle Crucis Abbey, Castell Dinas Bran, a romantic castle ruin (some steep climbs).

START 2.00pm outside the Tourist Information Centre, Castle Street LL20 8NU.

Price £5.00

Children under 5 years free.

Sorry NO DOGS also.

NOT suitable for pushchairs.

Please join your walk leader 15 minutes before the start time.

Walk 7: MEDIUM 7.5 miles (approx. 4 hours).

STEAM TRAIN RIDE & DEE VALLEY MEANDER
 

Walk Leader is Green Badge Guide Chris Grier.

START 10.30am outside the Tourist Information Centre, Castle Street LL20 8NU.

We start with a heritage steam train ride along the beautiful Dee Valley with view of the towering hills on either side and the river running alongside, then walk back along the valley side through woods and hill-side farms, visit the Horseshoe Falls to finish along the canal back to start.

Price £12.00

Train ticket included.

Wear good comfortable walking boots, bring your waterproofs (just in case), plus packed lunch and drinks.

Dogs welcome, providing the owner takes care of the dog’s every need.

Please join your walk leader 15 minutes before the start time.

Walk 8: LONG and challenging 14 miles ( approx. 8 hours).

HIGH MOORS WILDERNESS WALK & STEAM TRAIN RIDE

Walk Leader is Mountain Leader trained Mike Smart.

START 8.00am outside the Tourist Information Centre, Castle Street LL20 8NU.

Trek across high wilderness and remote heather moors with fantastic views in all directions and then… a rewarding heritage steam train ride back to the start.

Price £14.00.

Train ticket included.

Wear good comfortable walking boots, bring your waterproofs (just in case), plus food / packed lunch and drinks.

Bookings can be made online at http://www.treksmart.net/llww.html

NOTE: This is a wilderness walk and there is nowhere to buy snacks.  Remember Dad's Army Private Fraser saying "it's a wild and lonely place", well this is.  Dogs welcome, providing the owner takes care of the dog’s every need. Please join your walk leader 15 minutes before the start time.

National Eisteddfod will mean £8 boost to county

Latest edition of the Free Press is reporting that Denbighshire stands to benefit from up to £8million when the National Eisteddfod arrives this summer.

See the full story at: http://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/122332/-8-million-eisteddfod-boost-for-denbighshire.aspx

County's dog fouling clampdown hailed as "huge success"

Denbighshire’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Councillor David Smith has hailed the response to Denbighshire’s anti dog fouling campaign as a huge success to date.

He said: “We’ve had a fantastic response from the public on our online survey and freephone number with people reporting problems in their areas. We’ve already had over 145 calls to the freephone number.”

Results from online survey show that 71.7% of the respondents say they have a problem/serious problem in their area with dog fouling and 75% had not contacted the Council before about the issue.
        
As a result of these findings, Denbighshire has started to place anti-dog fouling signs and banners around key areas to highlight that there is a problem, patrols are in the area and we would encourage the public to support us in dealing with the problem.

Councillors are supporting the campaign by putting up signs, posters and postcards around their local area.  Councillor Smith added: “This is a new and modern approach for the Council, and we are using the strengths of all services involved to promote and show that we as a council are listening to our communities.
“We recognise the need to be more robust, co-ordinated and comprehensive in enforcing and educating about dog fouling issues and this campaign has allowed us to communicate how we can achieve one of our key corporate priorities of providing a clean environment.

"We want communities to continue to support this campaign and let us know where there is a problem by phoning 0800 2300234 www.denbighshire.gov.uk/dogfouling www.sirddinbych.gov.uk/bawci"

Skates hits out over "injury payment" suggestion

People suffering accidents through healthy activity could be forced into paying an activity tax under new Tory proposals, claims a Labour Assembly Member.

 

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates said: "Conservative AM Darren Millar said on a radio phone-in show that individuals putting themselves at high risk through their own choice could be charged by the NHS.

 

"After being asked whether people who go skiing should be charged by the NHS if they have an accident, the Conservative Health Spokesperson said: 'I think if people put themselves in areas of high risk through their own choice then there ought to be a discussion about whether it’s appropriate for the NHS to pick up the bill for the risks that they take.'”

 

Mr Skates added: "The Tories' approach would throw up several serious challenges. Whilst we must encourage patients to be responsible in their use of the NHS, the Tories are going further and suggesting there should be an activity tax on perfectly healthy behaviour.

 

“Where do we draw the line? As a keen runner myself, if I injure my knee doing perfectly healthy exercise, should I be taxed for that good behaviour?

 

“Should the average Sunday league footballer be charged if he gets injured in a tackle?

 

“The founding principle of the NHS is that it should be free at the point of access and we should keep it this way. 

 

"From Labour's perspective, this could be the start of a very slippery slope towards introducing a private insurance model of healthcare. Whilst the Tories might want that, it would be very costly for communities in Wales with a legacy of ill-health.

 

“This is the Welsh Conservatives again making up policy on the hoof.  We need to tackle inappropriate use of NHS resources, but half-baked proposals like these made up on a radio phone-in show are clearly not the answer.”

Don't devolve police says Isherwood AM

Speaking at the Welsh Conservative Party Conference at the weekend, North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood spoke out against the devolution of policing and emphasised that crime in Wales fell by 9% last year.

 

He said: “The Labour Welsh Government believes that a devolved Criminal Justice system should form part of the long term vision of Welsh Governance – and Plaid Cymru believe there should be a transfer of powers over justice as a whole, including Police, Prosecution, Probation, Prison, and Young Justice.

 

“Welsh Conservatives believe that the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners marked an act of real devolution, empowering local communities to have their say on Policing priorities and to hold an elected representative to account.

 

“We have not seen any evidence which leads us to support the devolution of Policing or Criminal Justice and we are concerned that the devolution of Policing could compromise cross-border working between Police forces. Quite frankly the thought of a Welsh Police Force under the state Socialist control of the First Minister of Blame, Carwyn Jones, or Loony Leanne Wood, absolutely terrifies me.”

 

He added: “Labour and Plaid Cymru have said that UK Police Reforms and Budget Reductions would mean higher crime, but recorded crime is down more than 10% under this UK Government and people’s experience of crime has fallen to its lowest level since the Crime Survey for England and Wales began.

 

“Crime in Wales fell 9% last year, with the biggest drop in Gwent, down 17%, followed by drops of 8% in North Wales, 6% in Dyfed Powys and 5% in South Wales.

 

“However, only this month a Labour AM responded to new figures showing a 10% fall in crime in Wrexham by warning that this fall in crime could be short lived if planned Budget cuts go ahead, even though the budget cuts were implemented from 2010. 

 

“Shadow UK Policing Minister David Hanson has criticised police budget reductions, despite Labour backing equivalent cuts.

 

"Labour planned cuts of around 12%, and Labour’s March 2010 UK budget had included police funding reductions of £545 million by 2014.

 

"But Labour has also supported savings proposed by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate Constabulary (HMIC) and the Police Arbitration Tribunal which essentially match the UK Government’s own plans to make savings from police budgets over this parliament.” 

Pontfadog Oak could be cloned

* The Pontfadog Oak before it fell victim to the weather. 

The BBC North East Wales website is report this evening (Monday) that the 1,200-year-old Pontfadog Oak, which was felled by the recent snow, could be using its DNA.

See the full story at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-22308186