Tenancy Fraud – Context and

challenges

CIH London – 11th April 2014

Alan Bryce, Head of Counter Fraud, Audit Commission

Agenda • Tenancy fraud quiz

• Protecting the Public Purse (PPP) 2013

- background and main findings

- trends and key messages

• What will motive your organisation – the moral or financial argument?

• Individual fraud briefings for councils

• Questions

A little bit about myself and the Audit

Commission •Head of Counter Fraud

•Qualified external auditor

•Accredited investigator

•MSc in Counter Fraud and Counter Corruption

•Former police officer

•Audit Commission – to be abolished April 2015

a-bryce@audit-commission.gsi.gov.uk

Protecting the

Public

Purse

Audit Commission report on fraud targeted English local government

bodies

• Re-introduced in 2009

• Annual report, only one of its kind in the UK and Worldwide

• Identifies and promotes good practice

• Unique survey on levels of detected fraud & counter-fraud

arrangements, with a 100% submission rate

Properties recovered from tenancy fraudsters

2012/13 and 2011/12

Region 2012/13 properties

detected

2011/12 properties

detected

London 1,535 1,209

W Midlands 416 211

E. of England 133 82

S. East 132 74

N. West 126 39

Yorkshire & Humber 108 49

E. Midlands 102 21

S. West 56 31

N. East 34 32

TOTAL 2,642 1,748

Tenancy Fraud

Properties recovered from tenancy fraudsters in the

last four years, by region

Progress is encouraging. The number of properties recovered

from fraudsters and the number of councils taking action is

accelerating

Tenancy fraud detection in last 4 years – as a

proportion of total stock

Tenancy Fraud

Differences in tenancy fraud type between London and

all other regions 2012/13 and 2011/12

Year London London All other regions All other regions

No. of sub-

letting

properties

recovered

No. of other

tenancy fraud

properties

recovered

No. of sub-letting

properties

recovered

No. of other

tenancy fraud

properties

recovered

2012/13 1147 338 310 847

2011/12 932 277 273 266

So what motivates your organisation to tackle

tenancy fraud?

Moral or Financial argument

Fraud Briefings

• 353 individual fraud briefings developed by Audit Commission

• Tailored comparative information on fraud detection activities

• For audit committees or equivalent, on request from your external auditor

• London Boroughs, unitary authorities/ metropolitan districts, County councils (from late 2013)

• District councils (early 2014)

Some issues to consider

• Partnership working across smaller social

housing providers

• “Political” support for action

• Financial argument

• Some lateral thinking – how about public health

budget!

For further information

a-bryce@audit-commission.gsi.gov.uk

Protecting the Public Purse 2013:

http://www.audit-

commission.gov.uk/fraud/protecting-the-public-

purse/Pages/protecting-the-public-purse-

2013.aspx

ANY

QUESTIONS