Fraud crackdown uncovers 7,000 ineligible Brits on social housing lists saving millions

OVER 7,000 Brits ineligible for social housing have been caught wrangling their way onto waiting lists, The Sun can reveal.

Since 2020 government swindle busters have detected £26.4m worth of housing fraud.

The criminal activity, caught by the Cabinet Office’s National Fraud Initiative, comes as queues for English council homes top one million.

A shocking 7,392 benefit cheats were spotted on council house waiting lists.

And 74 ineligible people made their way into social homes, illegally occupying spaces that should be reserved for genuinely hard-up families. 

Cabinet Office Minister, Baroness Neville-Rolfe, said: “The cutting edge data analysis revealed today is a double win for taxpayers that puts money back in the public purse and frees up social housing for those who need it most.

"All too often, fraud is a hidden crime. That’s why the detection work conducted by the National Fraud Initiative is so important.

“By working with local councils, we’re able to analyse vast quantities of data and detect fraudulent activity.”

Mark Cheeseman, chief executive of the Public Sector Fraud Authority, also said: "By using the latest data analytics tools and techniques, counter fraud experts in the Public Sector Fraud Authority, and across the public sector, are making a tangible difference, preventing fraud and protecting taxpayers money.

“Through the National Fraud Initiative we have already stopped criminals from stealing millions but there is more to do.

"The next stage of the pilot scheme will expand this important work further, including more local authorities and housing associations.”