This report marks the first UK-wide local authority fraud and capacity survey since 2020, providing a renewed baseline from which to track trends, benchmark performance and inform strategy.

The key findings reveal:

• A 98.9% increase in fraud case volumes over the past five years
• An estimated £265 million in detected fraud nationally for 2024/25, based on survey extrapolation
• Average fraud case value fell from £5,090 to £2,708 suggesting a rise in lower-value but higher-volume frauds
• 40% of councils report fraud work is carried out by staff with shared roles
• Tenancy, procurement and council tax fraud remain the highest-value categories
• A good return on investment, with £3.65 detected for every £1 spent on counter-fraud activity.

This report provides a useful evidence base for internal planning, partnership development and cross-sector collaboration. We welcome any comments as we look forward to building on this for 2026.

View the full NAFN Local Authority Counter Fraud Survey National Report 2025