Housing Fraud in Lewisham

[admin]

From Lewisham Council:
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Jail sentence for woman who used false passport to get a council home

A woman who used a false passport in order to get a council home she wasn’t entitled to has been jailed for four months following a prosecution by Lewisham Council.

Funmilayo Bolumole Ore, aged 54, told Lewisham Council’s housing team that she was homeless when she presented herself at the office in March 2006. As proof of her status in the UK she provided a Home Office letter stating that she had indefinite leave to remain. She also produced a Nigerian passport, an NHS card and a bank statement, all of which appeared to be genuine documents. Miss Ore was housed by the Council as she had a young child at the time.

A regular national data-matching exercise, co-ordinated by the Audit Commission, found that Miss Ore was likely not to have leave to remain in the UK as she had stated and the Council was alerted.

Lewisham Council’s Anti-Fraud and Corruption Team undertook an investigation and established that neither the passport nor the Home Office document she had originally provided were genuine. When arrested Miss Ore admitted that all the documents she had provided were false.

On 3 August 2012, Funmilayo Bolumole Ore pleaded guilty to offences under the Counterfeiting and Forgery Act 1981. She was sentenced to four months imprisonment. A Forfeiture of Destruction of the false documentation was also ordered under the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000.

Councillor Susan Wise, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, said: "Social housing is vital for those people who are in genuine housing need. Ms Ore used deceit to obtain a home that she was not entitled to, and, effectively, deprived someone else who was legally entitled to a council home from having one. We will not tolerate housing cheats in Lewisham and will seek to prosecute those who do try to cheat the system."

Action is being taken by Lewisham Homes, the Council’s ALMO, to recover the tenancy in order that the property can be allocated to a family in housing need.

Lewisham Council's Anti-Fraud and Corruption Team investigates all allegations of fraud against Lewisham Council including fraudulent applications for housing. Suspected fraud can be reported to the Council's fraud hotline. Call 0800 085 0119 or email reportfraud at lewisham.gov.uk. All calls and emails are treated in the strictest confidence.

[Tim Lund]

Why this press release? It would be more interesting to know about how many alerts this regular national data-matching exercise threw up in Lewisham compared to other areas, and how effectively Lewisham enforcement followed them up compared to other local authorities. Was there only one case reported and followed up? Was this national data-matching exercise focused on passports, so bound to throw up recent immigrants as offenders? Are there also true Brit fraudsters Lewisham catches up with, or is this press release more about countering the BNP?

Leaving aside the specific politics, I'd say it is a typical example to a local authority evading serious scrutiny. Instead we get a little story to tell us what Lewisham want us to hear, for whatever reason, good or bad.

[Eagle]

Outrageous

the very least she should be deported at once. But we all know there is no chance of this government doing that.

[Willy]

I was under the impression that part of being granted indefinite leave to remain was that you would not claim any benefits (it certainly is for my wife)?

[Eagle]

I agree Willy.

Also Councillor Wise mentions quite rightly who should be occupying council housing. I suggest LBL start with chucking out all people who have sub let council property .

Puzzled also why the council felt the need to house someone who had just arrived in UK ( making herself homeless ) ahead of all people who have contributed over the years to the state. Disgrace..

But hardly surprising.

[admin]

Why this press release?

I guess it is to counteract an impression that this is a crime you are going to get away with and Lewisham is not going to investigate.

Anyway here's another (my emphasis):
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Benefit cheat ordered to pay back £10,000

A benefit cheat who defrauded over £10,000 has received a suspended jail sentence and a Community Order following a prosecution by Lewisham Council.

Noora Sharif, 32, of Edward Street, Deptford in south east London, was sentenced to a 12 month Community Order of 150 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £200 at Bromley Magistrates Court on 12 September.

Ms Sharif was in receipt of Income Support and Housing Benefit as a single parent but had failed to declare part-time earnings from a job she had at a community centre.

Ms Sharif was prosecuted by Lewisham Council following a joint investigation with the Department for Works and Pensions, which proved she had defrauded a total of £10,200 which she will have to repay.

Between April and July 2012 the Council’s Anti-Fraud and Corruption Team took action against 25 people who had committed housing benefit fraud. This included 6 prosecutions, 16 cautions and 3 cases where the claimant had to pay an administrative penalty, similar to a fine. In all cases the individuals will have to repay the money they defrauded.

In the same period, 22 cases of housing related fraud, including subletting and fraudulent applications for social housing, were discovered. Action was taken either to prevent the allocation of housing or recover the property for reallocation to a genuine applicant.

The Council received funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government which enabled it to increase the work undertaken on housing fraud and subletting. As a result, the Anti-Fraud and Corruption Team has been able to work with local housing providers in the borough, such as L&Q and Regenter B3/Pinnacle.

Lewisham Council's Anti-Fraud and Corruption Team investigates all allegations of fraud against Lewisham Council including fraudulent applications for housing. Suspected fraud can be reported to the Council's fraud hotline. Call 0800 085 0119 or email reportfraud at lewisham.gov.uk. All calls and emails are treated in the strictest confidence.

[Tim Lund]

Why this press release?

I guess it is to counteract an impression that this is a crime you are going to get away with and Lewisham is not going to investigate.

Anyway here's another (my emphasis):

Fair point, and thanks for the other case. But you'd agree that some kind of aggregate statistics which would allow comparison with other local authorities would also be helpful?

[admin]

But you'd agree that some kind of aggregate statistics which would allow comparison with other local authorities would also be helpful?

More a question for Mr Pickles than me - don't you think?

Admin

[14BradfordRoad]

I agree Willy.

Also Councillor Wise mentions quite rightly who should be occupying council housing. I suggest LBL start with chucking out all people who have sub let council property .

Puzzled also why the council felt the need to house someone who had just arrived in UK ( making herself homeless ) ahead of all people who have contributed over the years to the state. Disgrace..

But hardly surprising.

Infuriating too Eagle..

[admin]

Puzzled also why the council felt the need to house someone who had just arrived in UK ( making herself homeless ) ahead of all people who have contributed over the years to the state. Disgrace..

Eagle - I thought long and hard before posting this press release as public information. Why? Well that it be spun as you did making unfoundered allegations in a sensitive area to back up a personal prejudice.

Or have I gone too far?

Read it again. Lewisham were presented with documentation that she had been in this country some time. Precisely so she would get priority over those "just arrived". This you infer they should do. It was Lewisham that subsequently found them to be fake and took action. Presumably you agree with this too?

Perhaps you might wish to reconsider and withdraw your remarks.

Admin

[Eagle]

You are correct I did not read that bit correctly and I apologise.


However my comments about being sent back home stand.

[Tim Lund]

But you'd agree that some kind of aggregate statistics which would allow comparison with other local authorities would also be helpful?

More a question for Mr Pickles than me - don't you think?

Admin

For Mr Pickles to take action, but we can both have a view, surely?

[admin]

For Mr Pickles to take action, but we can both have a view, surely?

Admin is not supposed to express views Tim. Hopefully they don't surface too often. Sorry, Eagle but your deportation is also a question for Theresa May & Co - not Lewisham (who have confirmed they have referred it to the immigation service).

Admin

[Tim Lund]

Admin is not supposed to express views TimAdmin

Well, get on and do some shape-shifting!

[admin]

Well, get on and do some shape-shifting!

Which would you prefer?

[chrisj1948]

Admin

Thanks for posting the Anne Anderson illustration. It really took me back to the pictures in the books I used to read at my grandparents house an awfully long time ago!

Regards
Chris

PS The Beast is probably the safer choice.

[CaptainCarCrash]

I don't condone tax evaders/dodgers or illegals getting fraudelent houses or even benefit fiddlers.

In all such cases where is the due process that eliminates the possibility?

They're riddled with flaws and loopholes.

[tjc]

Maybe some of you would want benefit mis-applications broken down by ethnenticity.

[Voyageur]

Maybe some of you would want benefit mis-applications broken down by ethnenticity.

Can't see that anyone has asked for that on here....

[admin]

There are good reasons to do it. There are bad reasons to do it. Its generally considered that the bad reasons are so bad that we should be very careful in that area. Otherwise you create a hostage for racists. And we don't want any of those back.

So lets not go there in any specific sense. If anyone wants to discuss ethnic over representation and the dangers of stereotyping from a policy perspective please take it to Town Pub. Carefully.

Admin