Spot the cheater: tackling tenancy fraud to make sure affordable homes can be accessed by those that need them
Date: 18/03/2022
Staffs Housing have joined a county-wide effort working to detect and prevent fraud in Staffordshire.
The Staffordshire Counter Fraud Partnership is made up of local councils, housing providers and the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce all working together to tackle tenancy and non-benefit fraud with the aim of making Staffordshire a no-go county for fraudsters.
Non-benefit frauds including council tax, housing tenancy, right to buy, businesses rates, insurance, social care and blue badge are said to have a far greater financial and social impact on local people and taxpayers.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council created the Counter Fraud partnership in 2019. Staffs Housing joined last year along with seven other local authorities, two other housing providers and the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce.
Together they can share and check information to highlight any concerns or suspicions of fraudulent activity.
Head of Housing Dave Allcock explains: “We’re excited to join the new partnership to make sure affordable homes aren’t being abused by fraudsters.”
“We’ll be able to access information to help prevent tenancy fraud. For example, we’ll have the facility to do more in-depth checks to identify if people are living somewhere different to what has been declared.”
“It means we can be confident that our affordable homes are being let to those that need them.”
Later this month some of the partners, including Staffs Housing will be running a ‘spot the cheater’ campaign. It will ask local people to look out for and report housing tenancy fraud happening in their community.
The partnership is looking to raise fraud awareness and develop a county-wide anti-fraud culture.
If you've got a cheat on your street report it. All reports will be made confidentially and can be made anonymously.
Report it online: www.staffsfraud.org
Report it to the hotline: 01782 236800
Report it by email: report@staffsfraud.org
