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Council duty to protect public funds

In this section

  1. 1
    Introduction
  2. 2
    Supporting choice and involvement
  3. 3
    Applying for direct payments
  4. 4
    Declining an application
  5. 5
    When a direct payment is agreed
  6. 6
    Getting help to manage direct payments
  7. 7
    Conditions that apply to the use of direct payments
  8. 8
    Using direct payments to employ staff
  9. 9
    Council duty to protect public funds
  1. 10
    Monitoring and reviewing direct payments
  2. 11
    Discontinuing direct payments / requiring repayment
  3. 12
    Concerns and complaints
  4. 13
    Implementing, monitoring and reviewing policy
  5. 14
    Appendix 1 - Definition of terms in this policy
  6. 15
    Appendix 2 - People excluded from having direct payments
  7. 16
    Appendix 3 - legal context
  8. 17
    Policy Details

9.1    The council has a duty to protect the public funds that it administers.

Debt recovery

9.2    The council will continue to meet needs for care and support if an adult fails to pay the assessed amount (where relevant) into the payment card account but the council:

  • will follow its usual debt recovery procedures to recover the debt to the council
  • may suspend or end direct payments either permanently or temporarily

Fraud and misuse of public funds

9.3    Suspected concerns about fraud, including fraud committed against other public bodies, will be reported to the council’s Internal Audit Investigation Team for investigation which may lead to:

  • information sharing between the council and other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds such as H.M. Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions, and/or
  • criminal prosecution

 

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