Keeping a UK Council property for life even though you no longer live in the UK

[Vintlet]

This story has just been released
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyxkeny8x6o
It seems so unfair given the lack of social housing in the uk that the First Lady of Sierra Leone expected to be allowed to keep her London social housing property as a pied a terre. Surely we cannot be expected to house the world. No one in authority would have realised given that she was still paying the rent if she hadn’t boasted about keeping it on a radio interview. I wonder how many people keep and sublet uk council properties when they no longer have a right to keep it.

I actually know a guy who’s got a house in Spain just outside of Malaga

he is columbian but has a Spanish passport
he has ILR in the uk but not citizenship

he became ill a few years ago managed to get Uc with LCWRA and high rate pip for both elements
he didn’t tell UC that he has that property

lives in a over 55 retirement flat
gets full rent paid

goes to Columbia every year for 5 weeks and dosent tell UC because if they knew his money would be stopped so he flies in / out on his columbian passport

he flies back to Spain every few months and he a lodger in the house that covers the mortgage

i toy between wanting to report him
and thinking can’t be assed

Tangent - have found a housing report from Southwark in 2008 identifying that 53% of Southwark residents were in private households (rented or owned), but 35% in council homes and 12% renting from social landlords.

This compared to an English average of 82% private and 9% each in the other two categories

How did this loser manage to get a mortgage? You should always look for things that make no sense in this story, like the £1m right to buys

Data protection?

You are reaching.

You just don’t want any checks for property abroad.

you're just obstinate and clearly know nothing about it.

a few posts above you suggested housing officers could identify people who had rental income from abroad using HMRC records

you don’t think that is subject to data protection laws? You reckon people can just call up HMRC and ask to see peoples tax returns? Come on, I know you’re desperate to stick to your point but just think about it.

And yes, anyone can have property anywhere in they wish, but it’s not fair the then to have UK council housing as well.

Why is Adir entitled to it, even though he has his seaside pad, but Margaret who has a second flat in the UK isn’t?

He’s not entitled to it.

This isn’t about element it’s about whether you’d be caught.

DWP can.

Of course this is information that is available for official reasons.

But surely if he’s not entitled to it, then it’s a good thing he’s caught?

this “loser “ worked in Spain for years and that how he got his mortgage people can buy a house
he has a few years left on it

I know him personally through my husband and I’ve stayed at his house in Spain prior to him getting ill and renting it out

I know where he lives in the uk and what he gets in terms of benefits

The problem is people don’t like to believe that people are doing stuff like this but they are

it’s not particularly hard to lie if you have property abroad and the only way they would know is if he is paying for it from his uk bank accounts or someone reported him

DWP are not landlords, or connected to them. DWP don’t check eligibility for social housing. It has nothing to do with them and isn’t a legitimate or legal reason for them to access data

Yes but let’s go round in circles again….

HE IS UNLIKELY TO BE CAUGHT DUE TO THE DIFFICULTY IN FINDING WHETHER PEOPLE OWN PROPERTY INTERNATIONALLY

DWP pay the housing benefit.

They have access to HMRC data.

No reason council officials can’t have it.

It does sound I’m afraid as if you are condoning fraud. Shouldn’t councils be empowered then to check people’s circumstances? Do you really think it should be a case of “well, what can you do?” about people already owning property abroad or subletting their flats?

Exactly
when you fill out UC forms they ask if you have any property abroad

if you tick no they don’t do any further checks

however why do you think UC are doing reviews where they want people to upload 4 months bank statements

bank statements can tell you an awful Lot of personal stuff

like if you are withdrawing money out abroad consistently that would mean your not in the uk
therefore they would ask more questions

if your paying a mortgage but claiming UC for rent that would mean more questions

if your getting interest on savings accounts that can mean more questions

Dn and flatmate pay her landlord in cash and cannot go on electoral roll etc. He has bills in his name.

I expect there are thousands of “non-people” who are illegally subletting.

And Zack Polanski had a pretty iffy gig - as aside from canal boat he was not on electoral roll and living somewhere with “council tax included”. Always a bit of a giveaway…

firstly, they’ve been phasing HB out for 15 years to be replaced by UC

secondly, plenty of social housing residents don’t claim UC.

thirdly, the reason local authorities can’t have it is DWP supplying tax return data to a landlord would be against the law.

What are you talking about? I’m telling you, from a position of knowledge, how it works.

its not for me to condone anything, stop being ridiculous. Such a childish way to try and win an argument.

You do seem very hopeful that checks can’t be made.

You are wrong.

I’m not even arguing! Just suggesting that it’s incredibly defeatist to shrug off a large and extremely costly - not to mention morally reprehensible - problem.

Not wealthy at all. She is a pensioner and still working so she can afford to live.

firstly, they’ve been phasing HB out for 15 years to be replaced by UC

DWP works with HMRC.

Honestly, you are strangely set on the wishful thinking checks can’t be done.

I’m not shrugging it off.

i am explaining why it’s so difficult- impossible- to control.

Did you read the post?!

DWP has nothing to do with landlords. They can not share data with them.

Also you don’t know how costly or large the problem of social housing tenants having a property abroad is.