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Protecting the Public Purse

The Audit Commission has published a report called ‘Protecting the Public Purse’ in which it has identified three specific fraud risks that need more attention from local authorities.

One significant area is housing tenancy fraud which could be tying up 50,000 social housing properties. The report also estimated that false claims for a single persons discount could be as high as £90 million. Recruitment fraud was also an issue, highlighting the importance of verifying details. All three areas are relevant to housing associations.

HIAF has been looking at tenancy verification in conjunction with the National Anti Fraud Network. We would welcome members’ experiences on the extent to which they have identified tenancy fraud and what action has been taken following discovery. Have associations reported tenancy fraud to the Housing Corporation / Tenant Services Authority: how easy and costly has it been to recover properties (or indeed, have there been cases where properties have not been recovered) and have any associations tried or succeeded to recover profits from the sub-letter, secured criminal convictions or other types sanctions.

We would also welcome views from associations about the level of cooperation they have received from local authorities. Please respond to Paul McLoughlin.

 

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