So Socia ial l Housi sing ng Fraud work rksho shop
01752 305951 kevin.neil@plymouth.gov.uk
We will finish on time (5.15) Will allow time for discussion We will respect confidentiality Opportunity to network and share ideas
Curiosity? Don’t think you have a problem but read about it recently? Want to show that you have got a handle on fraud? Recognise that it is essential that you get up to speed with preventing fraud?
What is it? Where is it? How do we find it? Does it matter?
Ho Housi sing ng Act 1996 S171(Par Part 6) Covers applications to the housing register – e.g. Devon Home Choice Ho Housi sing ng Ac Act 19 1996 96 S2 S214 14 (Part Part 7) 7) Covers homeless approaches made to a local authority Penalties limited to £5000 fine
Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013 created new offences with a maximum penalty of 2 years in prison Made it an offence to sublet – no longer ‘only’ a tenancy breach Created the ability to recover cash from perpetrators http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/3/co ntents
False representation Failure to disclose Abuse of position Maximum penalty 10 years in prison
Housing applications Homeless approaches Tenancies Mutual exchange Assignment
Awareness Fraud strategy Trained staff Data sharing agreements Data matching
Protecting the public purse It’s a moral issue Duty to those on housing waiting lists It matters how we manage valuable assets
National Fraud Authority estimate £900M per year cost Experian estimate 160,000 homes in UK unlawfully sublet 50,000 families in temporary accommodation Can involve other crimes (e.g. drugs crime)
Stoke-on-Trent alone has recovered about 60 properties recently last year Application fraud, where tenants have obtained properties by lying about their circumstances Tenancy succession fraud, where the legal tenant dies or moves out but friends or relatives keep the house Sub-letting, where a tenant rents out the council's property to rake in personal profits.
35,000 people on DHC register 4,000 homes let each year 60,000 social tenancies in Devon 600 homeless acceptances in average year
Housing applications Homeless approaches Tenancy offer stage
Succession Assignment Spotting sub letting
£200,000 granted funding Two year project Support for landlords and LA’s Investigation Training
Grant funded from 2013/14 Project now set to run till end of 2015 Slow start but will have all staff in post by April 2014 Lessons learned
33 referrals to date 5 public 11 LA housing teams 1 HB team 16 Devon Home Choice 22 ongoing investigations 7 NFA 3 Sanctions and/or prosecutions 1 Property recovered
Team of three investigators, one in post two more starting Working closely with LA’s and landlords Building partnerships with landlords Providing support, best practice, and investigating
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