Dortmund and Schwerte strengthen social assistance and fight benefit fraud

The Diaconal Work and the evangelical parish of Hörde have opened a counseling centre at Luthereck on Wellinghofer Straße 21, offering advice, support and referrals for a range of social problems. The next open‑door session is scheduled for 20 August after a short summer pause.

In a separate initiative, the city of Schwerte and the Jobcenter for Kreis Unna have signed a cooperation agreement to improve coordination against social‑benefit fraud. The pact creates regular contact points, case conferences and structured information exchange, aiming to detect and investigate organized misuse such as sham employment, concealed assets and fictitious household arrangements. The Jobcenter reports roughly 500 suspected fraud cases in the district for 2025. Mayor Dimitrios Axourgos said, “It is important that we as authorities network better.”