Successful prosecution for council tax reduction fraud
Posted on: 2 December 2025
A Tewkesbury Borough resident has been prosecuted for fraudulently claiming council tax reduction over two separate periods.
Royston Meek, 59, of The Cornfields, Bishops Cleeve, claimed more than £2,300 in council tax reduction to which he was not entitled between August 2019 and February 2025.
At a hearing at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 24 November, Mr Meek pleaded guilty to two charges for failing to notify Tewkesbury Borough Council of changes to his household income.
Mr Meek originally applied for council tax reduction in July 2018 on the basis that neither he nor his wife were working, and their only income was his Civil Service pension and child benefit.
However, in August 2019, when asked by the council to confirm whether his wife had any income, Mr Meek falsely stated that she was not working and had no income. In reality, his wife had started receiving an NHS pension on the same date as his reply.
This omission was identified through the Cabinet Office’s National Fraud Initiative, which flagged a match with an NHS pension.
Despite being given several opportunities to attend an interview and explain the failure to declare this income, Mr Meek did not attend. He also failed to declare a further change in household income during the investigation period, which meant he was no longer entitled to any council tax reduction.
Mr Meek was offered a financial penalty by the council as an alternative to prosecution, but he refused. On 24 November, Mr Meek was fined £293, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £117 and £500 costs. In addition, he remains liable to repay the full amount of council tax reduction he fraudulently claimed.
The investigation was carried out by officers from Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit, and the prosecution was brought by One Legal.
Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Lead Member for Finance and Asset Management, Councillor Stewart Dove, said: “We are committed to supporting our most vulnerable residents with financial assistance, and such fraudulent claims can only take money away from those who genuinely need support.
“This case shows that we will always seek to take action against anyone who deliberately misleads the council to obtain benefits they are not entitled to.”
Members of the public can report suspected council tax or benefit fraud by emailing the Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit at fraud.referrals@cotswold.gov.uk.
