MP in call to get tough on East Lancashire cheating tenants

9:00pm Monday 29th October 2012 in News

AN East Lancashire MP is urging tough new laws that could see social housing tenants who sub-let their properties for profit jailed for two years.

A new private members bill is currently going through parliament and is being championed by Rossendale and Darwen MP Jake Berry.

The Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Bill is designed to make illegal sub-letting of social housing a criminal offence, create effective deterrents and allow for proceeds of sub-letting to be reimbursed to social landlords, against whom the fraud was committed, rather than the state.

Estimates suggest that between 50,000 and 160,000 social homes are unlawfully occupied across the country.

Tenancy cheats can earn thousands of pounds a year renting their social homes out to private tenants. Anyone caught at present faces losing their tenancy.

The bill, which passed its second reading, is supported by the government and was also welcomed by Labour. It reached the crucial Committee stage this week.

Mr Berry said: “I attended the committee hearing and gave my backing to the Bill. It will free up social housing properties in Rossendale and Darwen and tackle the real problem of unlawful sub-letting of social housing property across England and Wales.

“This Private Members Bill seeks to create a new criminal offence for the unlawful sub-letting of social housing properties and introduces measures that will see sentences imposed on offenders and rights for local authorities to recoup any unlawful profits made. Further measures introduced today extend the remit of the Bill to Wales and bring in much needed powers of data access for investigation and prosecution of the offence.

“I hope this vital legislation is passed as soon as possible so Rossendale Borough Council has the right tools to tackle this fraud and provide effective deterrents, to prosecute offenders and free up houses.”

Comments (4)

9:10pm Mon 29 Oct 12

mavrick says...

Why are the social housing landlords not checking who their tenants are? maybe the transfer of council houses to the private sector was not a great move after all.
Why are the social housing landlords not checking who their tenants are? maybe the transfer of council houses to the private sector was not a great move after all. mavrick

9:46pm Mon 29 Oct 12

lmhjones says...

dear mr berry next year 1000s of social housing tenants who are disabled will be faced with additional costs because they are deemed to have a spare room. (even if they have carers who use them or relatves who visit to take on caring rsponsibilties) This bedroom poll tax will apply even where houses have been converted for the needs of the disabled person. you start raising this issue i might start listening.
dear mr berry next year 1000s of social housing tenants who are disabled will be faced with additional costs because they are deemed to have a spare room. (even if they have carers who use them or relatves who visit to take on caring rsponsibilties) This bedroom poll tax will apply even where houses have been converted for the needs of the disabled person. you start raising this issue i might start listening. lmhjones

9:59pm Mon 29 Oct 12

Dickiepayshey says...

Could these tough laws not also extend to any Honourable Members who sub-let their tax-payer funded homes ?
Could these tough laws not also extend to any Honourable Members who sub-let their tax-payer funded homes ? Dickiepayshey

11:40pm Mon 29 Oct 12

Info-warrior says...

We are living no surviving in a criminal orientated world. From the Elite Banksters and Polimagicians at the top down to low life criminality like sub-letting council housing association or privately rented accomadation its the tax payer thats being robbed by these sub-letters and its the tax payers thats being robbed by the Elite Banksters and Polimagicians. Look at whats happening at the BBC. A poll showed that only 45% of of the people surveyed still trust the BBC down from 62% before the Savile cover up. These times will surely be looked back in shame hundreds of years from now. Peadophiles allowed to pray on victims within establishments that you would expect to be resonably safe for all. What we all want to know is how many more of these peasophiles are being protected. Remember the scandal in Jersey Haut de la Garenne and more than 160 people claim they were abused. Anybody who has tried to investigate these crimes have come to a dead end or in some cases they have been sacked from their jobs threatened with violence and the chief of police on the Island was suspended from duty apparently related to how he conducted the investigation into the children's home allegations. Some local politicians believe he was removed by a powerful (cabal) who put in a new officer to conduct the investigation. This new officer immediately discounted the more serious allegations of abuse made by survivors of the home.

Recently a US journalist investigating the scandal was refused entry to the UK. Jersey authorities had convinced the UK border authority to ban her from entry after discovering she was investigating the children's home allegations.

So I guess I have made my point that nobody can no longer be trusted whether thats in high office or on the streets the world as been taken over by peadphile criminals addicted to reducing the worlds population by 90%.

Authoritarianism rules the day
But its our tax that pay their way.

Stock up Stock up Stock up Stock up Stock up Stock up..........etc...
We are living no surviving in a criminal orientated world. From the Elite Banksters and Polimagicians at the top down to low life criminality like sub-letting council housing association or privately rented accomadation its the tax payer thats being robbed by these sub-letters and its the tax payers thats being robbed by the Elite Banksters and Polimagicians. Look at whats happening at the BBC. A poll showed that only 45% of of the people surveyed still trust the BBC down from 62% before the Savile cover up. These times will surely be looked back in shame hundreds of years from now. Peadophiles allowed to pray on victims within establishments that you would expect to be resonably safe for all. What we all want to know is how many more of these peasophiles are being protected. Remember the scandal in Jersey Haut de la Garenne and more than 160 people claim they were abused. Anybody who has tried to investigate these crimes have come to a dead end or in some cases they have been sacked from their jobs threatened with violence and the chief of police on the Island was suspended from duty apparently related to how he conducted the investigation into the children's home allegations. Some local politicians believe he was removed by a powerful (cabal) who put in a new officer to conduct the investigation. This new officer immediately discounted the more serious allegations of abuse made by survivors of the home. Recently a US journalist investigating the scandal was refused entry to the UK. Jersey authorities had convinced the UK border authority to ban her from entry after discovering she was investigating the children's home allegations. So I guess I have made my point that nobody can no longer be trusted whether thats in high office or on the streets the world as been taken over by peadphile criminals addicted to reducing the worlds population by 90%. Authoritarianism rules the day But its our tax that pay their way. Stock up Stock up Stock up Stock up Stock up Stock up..........etc... Info-warrior

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