Hendon Town Hall
Barnet Council is estimated to have saved more than £2.2 million in temporary accommodation costs by cracking down on social housing fraud, a new report reveals.
It shows that 34 properties were recovered for those in need during the 2024-2025 financial year after being used illegally. This helped the council save £2.2million in temporary accommodation costs that it would otherwise have spent to house residents facing homelessness.
The figures were submitted to the council’s Governance, Audit, Risk Management and Standards Committee in an annual report by its Corporate Anti-Fraud Team (CAFT).
The report also noted that the council’s fraud team investigated 841 cases of potential tenancy fraud this year, a 55% on the previous year. Of these, 731 were new cases, including 254 alleged tenancy fraud and 477 Right to Buy verification and Anti-Money Laundering checks.
Significant strides have also been made in tackling travel fraud, including Blue Badge misuse and parking permit fraud. Over the past year, the team investigated 521 cases, marking a 60% increase on the previous year leading to 59 successful criminal prosecutions which led to £36,674.01 being awarded in costs and £21,554 in court fines.
Cllr Barry Rawlings, Barnet Council Leader, said:
“We take a firm stand against fraud, corruption, and any form of dishonesty. There is absolutely no place for it in our borough.
“Fraud not only damages public trust but also threatens the quality of services we provide. That’s why we have strong systems in place to prevent and investigate wrongdoing.
“We have a clear responsibility to protect the council’s finances, defrauding the council is defrauding the public - and we won’t stand for it.”
Barnet has been part of a pilot via the London Fraud Hub which is matching payroll data across council systems to find those working more than one job at a time. Across London the London Fraud Hub are currently actively investigating 101 cases.
Residents are encouraged to report any suspected fraudulent activities to the council's Corporate Anti-Fraud Team: barnet.gov.uk/your-council/finance-funding-and-pensions/fraud-investigation
You can read the full report and all additional documents on the Barnet council website: https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=1012&MId=11647
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- Concessionary Travel Fraud:
The team investigated 521 cases, including Blue Badge misuse and parking permit fraud compared to 326 last year, marking a 59.81% increase.
Achieved 59 successful criminal prosecutions, compared to 15 last year, (293% increase), resulting in £36,674.01 awarded in costs and £21,554 in court fines. Administered 28 Simple Cautions (a decrease from 54 last year which is 48.15%), recovering £1,564.30 for investigation costs, and issued 11 official warning
letters (a decrease from 65 which is approx. 83%).
Seized 18 Blue Badges from offenders, (a decrease from 32 last year which is 43.75%).
- Tenancy Fraud:
The team investigated 841 cases, compared to 543 last year marking a 54.88% increase. 731 of these were new cases which included 254 alleged Tenancy
fraud and 477 Right to Buy verification and Anti-Money Laundering checks.
Recovered 34 properties which was a decrease from 41 (7%) last year. The recoveries marked a cost value of £2.2m saved, with 3 additional properties
awaiting recovery through ongoing legal proceedings.
Denied 64 Right to Buy applications, retaining an asset value of over £8.7 million. This was a vast increase from 12 last year marking a 433.33% increase
Issued 5 simple cautions which was an increase from 1 (400%) from last year
Prevented 23 new applications due to ineligibility, a slight increase from 20 (15%) last year.
£42,500 in compensation awarded, an increase from £8,900 last year marking an approx. 377% increase.