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Developing Partnerships to Tackle Tenancy Fraud

Developing Partnerships to Tackle Tenancy Fraud. Paul Bicknell Corporate Fraud Manager. A Different Approach?. Involve Housing Officers on a ‘joint- working’ basis from the outset Recover the property AND Sanction the offender. The Challenges.

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Developing Partnerships to Tackle Tenancy Fraud

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  1. Developing Partnerships to Tackle Tenancy Fraud Paul Bicknell Corporate Fraud Manager

  2. A Different Approach? • Involve Housing Officers on a ‘joint- working’ basis from the outset • Recover the property AND Sanction the offender

  3. The Challenges • Tenancy Fraud doesn’t exist • Housing Officers lack of powers • Staff are too busy • Legal Teams wary of Fraud Act 2006/POSH Fraud Act 2013 • No understanding/experience

  4. The Solution • Awareness training • Specific investigative resource • ‘Put it about’ a bit • Partnership approach involving stakeholders from the outset • 3 Stage investigation process • Publicity

  5. Investigator Utility usage Bin crew Gas inspection Social media LEA – schools Housing Officer Housing file Discrete neighbour enquiries Monitor property Investigation Process – Stage 1

  6. Investigation Process – Stage 2 • Surveillance • Financial info • Witness statements • Benefits in payment? • Fraud Act offences • Issue IUC letter and/or notice to quit

  7. Investigation Process – Stage 3 • IUC conducted by the Investigator and the Housing Officer • No response – Recover property

  8. Post IUC • Benefit overpayment • Repossession hearing • Sanction action

  9. Desired Outcomes • Referrals fully investigated • Benefits corrected • Property recovered & re-let • Offender sanctioned

  10. RSL Partnerships • 7 HA’s on board • Same approach • Prepared to pay • 4 Agreed to data-matching exercise funded by DCLG

  11. Data Matching Exercise • Commenced May 2013 • Credit Reference Agency • DPA Agreements signed • New matching in May 2014

  12. Initial Exercise Results • 664Matches received • 161 Disregarded immediately • 503 System Checked – data cleansed • 92 Warranted investigation

  13. Exercise Results (cont) • 18 On-going investigations • 23 Properties recovered • 2 Prosecutions, 2 AdPens, 2 Cautions

  14. TF Results since April 2011 • 120 Ongoing investigations • 11 Prosecutions, 5 AdPens, 4 Cautions • 203 Properties recovered (54, 64, 75, 10) • £800k benefit overpayments • Highest reported fraud type

  15. Things You Need To Know! • People still don’t believe HTF is an issue • Most cases in receipt of HB/CTB • Mags/judges need awareness training • Results are tangible • Almost certainly a bigger problem than you think

  16. Quote “Facts do not cease to exist merely because they are ignored” Aldous Huxley “Tenancy Fraud does not cease to exist merely because we choose to ignore it” Paul Bicknell

  17. Contact Details paul.bicknell@stoke.gov.uk Tel: 01782 232828

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