Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · 16d

Record fraud crackdown saves half a billion for public services
www.gov.uk/government/n...

Record fraud crackdown saves half a billion for public services

Government stops over £480 million ending up in the pockets of fraudsters over twelve months since April 2024 - more money than ever before.

www.gov.uk

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · 20d

www.biggleswadetoday.co.uk/news/politic...

Counter fraud team saves nearly £3m for Central Bedfordshire Council in first 10 years

A specialist anti-fraud team has netted £2.9m savings for Central Bedfordshire Council in its first ten years, along with notional benefits of an extra £8m, a meeting heard.

www.biggleswadetoday.co.uk

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · 21d

www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/news/article...

Central Bedfordshire Council news and press releases | Central Bedfordshire Council

Man fined for social housing fraud in Harlington - A man has been fined after illegally sub-letting a social housing provider property in Harlington.

www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Sep 10

Barking and Dagenham Council helps secure two further arrests in suspected fraud crackdown

www.lbbd.gov.uk/news/2025/ba...

Barking and Dagenham Council helps secure two further arrests in suspected fraud crackdown

Following on from our statement of 4 September, four individuals in Dagenham and Essex have now been arrested as part of Operation Chandrila.

www.lbbd.gov.uk

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Sep 6

Council claws back huge sum in overpaid housing and benefits fraud

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

Council claws back huge sum in overpaid housing and benefits fraud

The team also looked into suspected cases of council houses being used as short-term holiday accommodation and stopped nine such cases

www.walesonline.co.uk

Reposted by Andy Lane

Cornerstone Barristers @cornerstonebarristers.com · Sep 5

Due to planned tube strikes next week, we've unfortunately had to reschedule our Public Law in 2025 conference to 29 Sept.

This new date will ensure we can deliver the high-quality event we have planned and the best possible experience for all attendees.

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Reposted by Andy Lane

Jules Birch @julesbirch.bsky.social · Sep 6

Police investigate lettings of hundreds of affordable homes by allegedly corrupt housing officers in Barking and Dagenham

news.sky.com/story/two-ar...

Two arrested as police suspect 'corrupt' council staff allocated 'hundreds of homes for cash'

Investigators believe there was blatant advertising on social media offering prospective tenants a means to beat the queue for affordable housing.

news.sky.com

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Reposted by Andy Lane

Cornerstone Barristers @cornerstonebarristers.com · Aug 20

Philip Coppel KC and Natasha Peter acted for
Epping Forest District Council in securing an interim injunction to stop the Bell Hotel being used for asylum seeker accommodation.

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Aug 15

A Wolverhampton resident has been sentenced for providing false information in an attempt to gain priority access to social housing.

share.google/KnEpfHqGxK4D...

Fraudulent housing application leads to court sentence | City Of Wolverhampton Council

A Wolverhampton resident has been sentenced for providing false information in an attempt to gain priority access to social housing.

share.google

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Aug 14

www.huntspost.co.uk/news/2538635...

Council uncovers nearly half a million pounds in fraud

Huntingdonshire District Council has uncovered nearly half a million pounds in fraudulent activity across the region.

www.huntspost.co.uk

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Aug 13

‘Anti-Fraud Team busts string of sub-letting scammers’

www.lbhf.gov.uk/news/2025/08...

www.lbhf.gov.uk

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Aug 12

Why have we let side-hustle private landlords seize control of our housing – and our politics?
Peter Apps

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Why have we let side-hustle private landlords seize control of our housing – and our politics? | Peter Apps

Failed Thatcherite policy monetised complex housing needs. No wonder those who benefit are loth to change it, says Peter Apps, a contributing editor at Inside Housing

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Andy Lane

Nearly Legal @nearlylegal.co.uk · Aug 10

Grateful thanks to @spikenorman.bsky.social (NL's Wales housing law correspondent) for a part 1 on the huge changes to homelessness law proposed in the Homelessness and Social Housing (Wales) Bill. From an English perspective, this is remarkable stuff.

nearlylegal.co.uk/2025/08/home...

Homelessness and Social Housing (Wales) Bill - the Headline issues - Nearly Legal: Housing Law News and Comment

(As ever, we are very grateful to Mike Norman of Harrow Law Centre for his updates on housing law in Wales. This is the first of two posts by Mike on the huge changes in homelessness law set out in th...

nearlylegal.co.uk

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Aug 9

Woman sentenced for housing fraud in North Herts

www.north-herts.gov.uk/news/woman-s...

Woman sentenced for housing fraud in North Herts | North Herts Council

A woman who made a false housing application and provided altered documents to North Herts Council pleaded guilty at court following an investigation by the Hertfordshire Shared Anti-Fraud Service (SA...

www.north-herts.gov.uk

Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Aug 8

A really interesting case both with regard to the original judgment and how the appeal was in fact progressed on the day. Great work by Sarah and Olivia.

Reposted by Andy Lane

Cornerstone Barristers @cornerstonebarristers.com · Aug 8

Court of Appeal rules “stepchild” in a discretionary succession policy means child of a spouse or civil partner only - not long-term partner.

Sarah Salmon and Olivia Davies represented the London Borough of Islington

Learn more: cornerstonebarristers.com/excluded-by-...

Excluded by definition: the narrow reading of “stepchild” and housing succession claims | Cornerstone Barristers

On 31 July 2025, the Court of Appeal handed down its judgment in Abdelrahman v Islington LBC [2025] EWCA Civ 1038. The appeal concerned whether, […]

cornerstonebarristers.com

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Aug 8

Judge tells colleagues to be ‘on their guard’ over expert witness evidence

www.theguardian.com/law/2025/aug...

Judge tells colleagues to be ‘on their guard’ over expert witness evidence

Patrick Hodge, supreme court’s deputy president, wants judges to improve their scientific and technical literacy

www.theguardian.com

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Aug 7

No need to apologise Jacob. You raised an interesting point. It does read as if there is something more to it but I don't know what that is!

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Aug 7

The tenant isn't named but I take the point. The real issue is that a social unit was recovered from somebody 'misusing' it. I will delete the post.

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Aug 7

It would seem to be though the report is very limited.

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Aug 7

Housing fraudster ordered to pay council £165,000

councilnews.dudley.gov.uk/news/housing...

Housing fraudster ordered to pay council £165,000 | Dudley Council News

A fraudster has been found guilty of illegally subletting a Dudley Council property.

councilnews.dudley.gov.uk

Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Aug 6

In many housing fraud matters it is best dealt with by local authorities in my view because they often have the particular experience and expertise required. As for investigations they also often have bespoke powers eg under regulations made under the 2013 Act.

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Aug 6

A bit of both really. For example, the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013 gives an express right to prosecute to the local authority.

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Aug 6

Protecting the public purse: Sandwell Council tackles fraud

www.sandwell.gov.uk/news/article...

Protecting the public purse: Sandwell Council tackles fraud – Sandwell Council

A joint statement from Councillor Paul Moore and Councillor Liam Preece on Sandwell Council's Annual Counter Fraud Report for 2025:

www.sandwell.gov.uk

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Andy Lane @andylane07.bsky.social · Aug 5

AI fuels surge in identity fraud, as people sell their personal information - Fraudscape six-month report
www.cifas.org.uk/newsroom/fra...

AI fuels surge in identity fraud, as people sell their personal information - Fraudscape six-month report | Cifas

www.cifas.org.uk

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