Cheshire East Council's crackdown on benefit fraudsters has led to more than £1m being clawed back and more than 50 people being convicted by courts this year.
The figures were revealed as the Council successfully prosecuted three more people in the Borough for benefit fraud.
Since January 1st 2015, the authority's benefit investigations team has uncovered more than £1.128m in fraudulently obtained benefits – which is to be repaid by the offenders – and achieved 56 convictions.
The authority has also imposed 51 penalty notices and issued 55 cautions.
Councillor Les Gilbert, Cheshire East Council Cabinet member in charge of communities, said: "A figure of £1.128m is a significant amount of money that is successfully being reclaimed for our local taxpayers.
"These latest prosecutions, and others like them, send out a very clear message that we are an enforcing Council and that crime does not pay.
"Benefit fraud will not be tolerated and we have continued to take robust action to protect our communities from those who abuse the rules at the expense of taxpayers.
"I congratulate our enforcement teams on their hard work on taxpayers' behalf.
"The message is clear: people who think they can get away with claiming benefits they were not entitled to are making a very big mistake. Those who cheat the system will be brought to justice.
"We have a zero-tolerance policy towards benefit fraud because we are determined to ensure that the benefits system works for people who really need help."
In all cases where an individual has been prosecuted the overpayment will have to be repaid in full.
If you think someone is committing benefit fraud, you can ring the National Benefit Fraud hotline on 0800 854 440. You don't have to give your name and your call will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Alternatively, you can report suspected fraud at www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud
Photo:Councillor Les Gilbert.
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Headline - Council Claws back more than £ 1 million.
Words, Council has uncovered more than £ 1.128 million in fraudulently claimed benefits - which WILL have to be repaid.
So - they claim to have found it and will see to recover it - but they have not got it back yet. Anyone living on benefits will be paying back at 50p per week - how long will they be paying for and what happens when they drop off the radar after a few years.
What about those people with no goods for bailiffs to sell - or those who willfully refuse to pay ?
It would be very interesting to see how much of this £ 1.0m is paid in one year, two years and three years. I am willing to bet its a pretty small amount.
Rather than patting themselves on the back, on our behalf, perhaps these folks should be asking why they paid our money out to these "fraudsters" in the first place?