Delivering great housing services for thriving neighbourhoods Developing Partnerships to Tackle Fraud Who we are Munim Farid – Special Projects (Consultant)

Delivering great housing services for thriving neighbourhoods

Developing Partnerships to Tackle Fraud • Who we are• Munim Farid – Special Projects (Consultant)• Karen Lengthorn – Special Projects Manager• Carol Owen – A-FACT Manager Lewisham Council• Juliet Bennett – A-FACT Lewisham Council

Lewisham Homes in partnership with the Lewisham Council’s Anti-Fraud and Corruption Team (A-FACT) and South East London Housing Partnership (SELHP)

Delivering great housing services for thriving neighbourhoods

Anti-Fraud & Corruption Policy• Lewisham Homes has an approved Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy

through which it aims to eradicate fraud and corruption.

• Other Policies which strengthen its commitment include:• Code of Conduct Board Members and Employees• Gifts and Hospitality• Wired Working Policy• Whistle blowing• Register of Personal Interests (PO9+)• Maintenance of a Fraud Register• Introduction of an Acceptable Use Policy (inc phone monitoring and use of

CCTV

Delivering great housing services for thriving neighbourhoods

Partnership• Local Authority

– A-FACT– Homeless Persons Unit– Housing Applications– Housing Benefit– Council tax– Registry Office– National Fraud Initiative

• London Borough of Southwark (SELHP)• RSL’s• Department of Works and Pensions

Delivering great housing services for thriving neighbourhoods

Prevention and Detection of FraudBy Tenants: • Occupancy Checks• Detail Investigations ( A-FACT)• Detail Investigations (South East London Housing Partnership)• Including National Fraud InitiativeBy Officers• Any incidents relating to officers are sent to the Anti-Fraud &

Corruption Team to investigate and report back to Lewisham Homes SMT

By Contractors and Suppliers

Delivering great housing services for thriving neighbourhoods

How we receive and investigate referrals:Receive from• Fraud Hotline• Tenants and members of the public writing in• Suspicious tenancy activity• Staff• Repairs and caretaking staff• Contractors undertaking gas checks

Use the following systems• Data Analysis

National Fraud Initiative Housing system Housing Benefit Council Tax Customer View ( Experian) Legal Landlord Land Registry

• Door Knocking

Delivering great housing services for thriving neighbourhoods

Results  Oct 09 to Mar 10 2010/11 Total Since October 09

Cases Opened 1218 1051 2269

Cases Closed 1133 601 1734

NTQ’s served 417 178 595

NTQ’s withdrawn 224 74 298

Genuine Occ’s confirmed

908535 1443

Properties Recovered

8287 169

Rent owed £ 172,899.30 £ 124,658.34 £ 297,557.64

% Recovered following Occ

Check 14.9% 12.1% 13.40%

49 Legal cases

Delivering great housing services for thriving neighbourhoods

SanctionsSub-Letting• Civil Proceedings to recover property under Housing Act 1985 • Civil Proceedings under ‘Unjust Enrichment’ recent test case (November

2010) tenant ordered to pay £7,179.52 property repossessed• Criminal Prosecution under Fraud Act 2006 (undertaken where evidence is

robust)Officer Fraud:• Disciplinary action leading to dismissal • Criminal Prosecution• Or both Criminal Prosecution – may involve the use of Proceeds of Crime ActPublicity of successes

Delivering great housing services for thriving neighbourhoods

Achieving it’s commitment• Establishing an anti-fraud and corruption culture by:• Issuing and updating procedures• Publishing approach and successes• Training Board members, Managers and officers

• Future Training of the Staff will include:• ID Fraud and case studies• Immigration status rules• Rights of EU members to benefits within the UK• How to produce witness statements for criminal prosecutions

Delivering great housing services for thriving neighbourhoods

Finally together in partnership we can…