Covid business support fraud in Leeds tops £1m

The figures feature in a report going before a Leeds City Council meeting on Thursday

More than £1m in fraudulent Covid business grants has been claimed from a council, figures reveal.

Leeds City Council papers show 74 cases totalling £1,078,393.29, with only £695,294.87 recovered to date.

They found "all checks possible" were made upon receipt of applications, but time constraints and Covid restrictions often made company visits impractical.

The report will go before the council's Infrastructure Scrutiny Board on Thursday.

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It says identifying and recovering fraudulently claimed grants is an "ongoing process" in conjunction with the council's internal audit team, government agencies, the police and other local authorities.

The Covid business support grant scheme was designed to help Leeds-based businesses who could prove their incomes had reduced since the start of the pandemic.

A total of 12,058 grants worth £22.3m have been administered by the council, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Businesses needed to provide bank statements, a copy of the applicant's ID, proof of accounts and proof of fixed costs.