Illegal subletting finally resolved
A council house that was illegally sublet has been taken back by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council following a court ruling.The council received allegations about the property in Hatfield in June 2017...
View ArticleCouncil tenant in illegal sub-letting and right to buy frauds
A council tenant who had applied to purchase his rented home through the Right to Buy scheme has been convicted of illegally subletting it to his children.Waltham Forest Council tenant, Uwe Werner, 55,...
View ArticleBristol reports major successes in countering housing frauds
Fraud investigators at Bristol City Council have saved taxpayers more than £2million in the last six months, a report reveals.The dedicated team’s work resulted in 19 council properties being recovered...
View ArticlePensioner jailed for benefit fraud
A "manipulative" man who said he was disabled and claimed almost £90,000 in benefits has been jailed after he was filmed living an active life.Graham Branfield denied fraudulently claiming a little...
View ArticleLawyer was benefit cheat
A "Walter Mitty" lawyer who claimed £60,000 in disability handouts by falsely claiming he could barely walk was filmed by investigators scaling the stairs inside a courthouse.Dr Alan Blacker, 47, said...
View ArticleMan committed two social housing frauds
A housing fraudster from Kingswinford who sublet his council home has been handed a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years and a bill of more than £7,000.Dudley Council successfully brought...
View ArticleRepeat benefit cheat claimed for dead wife - prison again
A 71-year-old man fraudulently claimed almost £32,000 in benefits as his wife's carer while she actually lived in a residential home.Norman Gill continued to receive benefits after she passed away,...
View ArticleParents jailed for long term benefit fraud
A shameless couple pocketed £108,754 of taxpayers' money to live a life of luxury by pretending they were landlord and tenant to steal benefit cash.Melissa Ellis, 34 and Jonathan Lucas, 38, were handed...
View ArticleAnti-fracking campaigner was lying benefit cheat
An anti fracking campaigner who claimed to benefit chiefs he was unable to leave his home was later caught on camera climbing onto a lorry during a protest at Little Plumpton.John James Knox, 33, was...
View ArticleBenefit cheat pursued slowly for historical benefit fraud
A man who cheated Havering Council out of more than £30,000 through council tax and housing benefit fraud has been jailed.David James Richards, 62, of no fixed abode was handed a seven month prison...
View ArticleBenefit cheat was repeat offender
A mum from Leeds who illegally claimed more than £28,000 in benefits over a nine-year period has avoided jail.Zena Hirst claimed she was unemployed and living alone in order to get housing benefits and...
View ArticleNorth East campaign highlights the cost of housing fraud
The financial and social impact of housing fraud will come under the spotlight as part of a regional awareness campaign.Housing fraud is the third biggest type of fraud affecting councils in the UK,...
View ArticleJudge attacks lax monitoring of fraudulent benefits scheme
A benefit fraud scam in which women pretended to be cleaners at schools cost the taxpayer almost £1m, a court heard.Ringleaders Mohamed Goth, 66, and Feisal Aw-Isse Sadi, 43, have been jailed for eight...
View ArticleUnlawful Profit Order for illegal subletting
A council tenant illegally sublet his Walthamstow flat for five years while living in Warrington with his partner and children.Oluwajare Adegbuyi was caught illegally subletting the flat in Stocksfield...
View ArticlePensioner claimant didn't disclose he was working
A self-employed decorator from Southampton defrauded the taxpayer out of more than £35,000 by collecting benefits while still working.Barrie King, 74, claimed pension credit and housing benefit despite...
View ArticleSurfer claimed she was disabled
A competitive surfer and musician who performed at Glastonbury has been convicted of a £13,000 benefits scam after exaggerating her care needs.October Hamlyn-Wright, 36, told officials she suffers from...
View ArticleTwo fined over council tax benefit fraud
Two people received fines and costs and have to pay back thousands of pounds after admitting fraudulently claiming Council Tax Support for years while they were actually working.Shaun Emery, 46, from...
View ArticleIllegal sub-letter must pay back gains
A housing association tenant has been ordered to pay back the £6,000 he scammed by sub-letting his flat to tourists.Liverpool County Court heard how the Riverside tenant had been renting the flat for...
View ArticleGovernment to spend £12m p a tackling housing benefit fraud
The government has announced extra cash to help local authorities crack down on housing benefit fraud and error, as part of the housing announcements in today’s Budget.Council resources to tackle fraud...
View ArticleBenefit cheat must pay back £20,000 she swindled
A benefit cheat has been ordered to pay back £20,000 after she was secretly filmed by undercover investigators.Julie Priest, aged 54, lied about her disability to pocket almost £35,000, a court...
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