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Original poster

Housing Association Fraud

51 replies

Scrumbled5 · 30/12/2022 08:28

I know of someone whose parents were allocated a social housing property about 30 years ago.

They are Polish immigrants and she was pregnant at the time. They have since kept the 3 bed property in central London (Victoria) while building up a property portfolio in Poland and subletting the third bedroom in London to various tenants over the years.

their son now lives there with his girlfriend saving up a deposit while his parents have moved back to Poland. He has £120k+ saved up.

this isn’t right!

does anyone know if housing association fraud differs from benefit fraud in that way? I want to report them but because it’s HA will the council listen?

OP posts:
PinkButtercups · 30/12/2022 08:30

Should do and I would report it. Stuff like that makes my blood boil.

You're not allowed to have any other property in any HA house.

HiDeDi · 30/12/2022 08:32

You need to contact the HA direct and tell them that the tenant lives in Poland and has done since X date.

They will do the rest.

Greenfairydust · 30/12/2022 08:36

How do you know all this?

You know what is on that person's bank account? how?

Also why keep repeating that they are from Poland?

Yes, a housing association would want to know that a property is being misused if that is true but I don't know, your post has some odd content.

Original poster
Scrumbled5 · 30/12/2022 09:03

Ugh I knew someone would ask why I mentioned Poland but I thought it would be obvious when I mentioned the property empire in a different country. I didn’t repeat it needlessly — as you can see, it’s relevant to the story. I can’t exactly say they moved back to [redacted], can I? To save the delicate left-wing sensibilities of some readers?

Not that you need to know, but I do indeed know the financial situation because I used to be married to the son.

OP posts:
Alaldlccmemsjzja · 30/12/2022 09:11

ok so it was ok when you were benefitting?

Original poster
Scrumbled5 · 30/12/2022 09:11

Oh my god the judgement here. When did I say I benefitted?!

OP posts:
Original poster
Scrumbled5 · 30/12/2022 09:12

We lived together in a flat he owned when we were together, and I paid half his mortgage for him!

OP posts:
Alaldlccmemsjzja · 30/12/2022 09:14

ok well tell the housing association or don’t, what do you actually want?

Original poster
Scrumbled5 · 30/12/2022 09:15

@Alaldlccmemsjzja read my original post. If you can’t help then why comment?

OP posts:
Yajebbend · 30/12/2022 09:16

You seem really bitter about this

Original poster
Scrumbled5 · 30/12/2022 09:19

@Yajebbend I just think it’s absolutely disgusting that they would con the housing association for 30 years when my own mum can’t even get a house for herself. So yes, i am bitter.

OP posts:
Original poster
Scrumbled5 · 30/12/2022 09:20

But the bizarre attitudes here have made me even more determined to report them. It seems people would rather turn a blind eye rather than stand up for what’s right.

OP posts:
simplefree · 30/12/2022 09:27

report asap
many foreigners do that
some British people do that too
it doesn’t matter who is doing it or your motivation - as long as fraudsters don’t get away with it, it is all good

do you know the parents’ address in Poland or their phone number? I would give them all info I got

PenanceAdair · 30/12/2022 09:32

This really does sound like payback of some sort but it doesn't stop it from being the right thing to do. Fraud is fraud. So report it to the HA and possibly council too and let them take it from there.

Squarerootofpi · 30/12/2022 09:34

So your ex husband and his girlfriend now live in the property?

If neither of them are on the tenancy then all the HA can do is evict them. If the original tenants have moved back to Poland then I doubt the benefit fraud teams can prosecute them from there. Its shitty, but a case of 'don't hate the player, hate the game'.

I don't condone benefit fraud but also wouldn't report in this case. It seems you are doing it more out of jealousy and bitterness than a sense of justice. Move on with your life and leave them to it.

WolverineBlueyy · 30/12/2022 09:36

As others have said, subletting of any kind presumably breaks their tenancy agreement so there will be repercussions.
The housing association will have a process to investigate and it would likely end up in court.

TellMeWhere · 30/12/2022 09:36

If you were that morally outraged by it you would've reported them as soon as you found out about it.

This just smacks of you feeling bitter as you will no longer benefit from the Polish property empireor whatever...

Report to the Housing Association and be done with it.

Georgeskitchen · 30/12/2022 09:41

Yes go ahead and report. Council housing fraud is rife, especially in London where the waiting lists are huge and many families are desperate for a home

simplefree · 30/12/2022 09:43

Squarerootofpi · 30/12/2022 09:34

So your ex husband and his girlfriend now live in the property?

If neither of them are on the tenancy then all the HA can do is evict them. If the original tenants have moved back to Poland then I doubt the benefit fraud teams can prosecute them from there. Its shitty, but a case of 'don't hate the player, hate the game'.

I don't condone benefit fraud but also wouldn't report in this case. It seems you are doing it more out of jealousy and bitterness than a sense of justice. Move on with your life and leave them to it.

some family with children genuinely need that house

Temporaryname158 · 30/12/2022 09:47

I would report them will all the information you have to the HA and local authority

BumblebeeWest · 30/12/2022 09:47

As a former council officer, please please do report this to both the council and the HA, with as much detail as you can. If you have any copies of documentation supporting the allegations, please save them as a PDF, save websites using archive . ph, and make sure they are part of the report. Based on just what you’ve told us, it will be investigated.

I’m sure you’re anlready aware that area has one of the longest waiting lists in the country for social housing, and that particular council is very proactive about housing fraud. Thank you for having enough of a conscience to want to do something to free up a property that’s being fraudulently occupied. As you can see from the replies you’re getting in this thread, sadly plenty of people would prefer to turn a blind eye. There are numerous families in horribly overcrowded conditions who need to stay local to care for older and disabled family members, and one of those households could massively benefit from you taking action.

Original poster
Scrumbled5 · 30/12/2022 09:55

This is why I didn’t want to get personal details involved, as it clouds people’s reading of the situation. I divorced him 5 years ago, we split amicably, I stopped fancying him and couldn’t bring myself to sleep with him. No, I didn’t benefit in any way from his cash. No, I didn’t “go after” any of his money.

So far it’s been implied that I am xenophobic, money-grabbing and/or jealous and bitter, all from a very short couple of paragraphs about reporting someone for fraud.

When we were together we used to constantly debate his parents’ living arrangements — I found it morally questionable that his father was happy to have properties in Poland and yet benefit from this London property, but I obviously wasn’t going to get involved and potentially get his parents arrested for fraud or evicted.

I was speaking to a mutual friend recently who said they were living there. Now that I am far removed from the situation I can see that it’s not right and I don’t feel bad about reporting them.

For so long I’ve thought I have to just turn a blind eye for fear of being considered xenophobic — and what do you know, the reactions on this thread prove it.

Thanks to anyone who provided advice without judging me negatively.

OP posts:
Greyskyblue · 30/12/2022 09:57

Report to the HA. The tenancy ended when the original tenants moved back to Poland. The son has no right to be there. If he’s genuinely in need the HA will rehouse him.

SoggyBananaLoaf · 30/12/2022 09:59

Can I ask a question (sorry to hijack thread)...
An acquaintance lives in a HA house with husband and son. She came into some money. Bought a flat to rent out. I can believe this is allowed, is it??

PenanceAdair · 30/12/2022 10:03

SoggyBananaLoaf · 30/12/2022 09:59

Can I ask a question (sorry to hijack thread)...
An acquaintance lives in a HA house with husband and son. She came into some money. Bought a flat to rent out. I can believe this is allowed, is it??

It's not allowed; the council probably doesn't know and if they do, she'd lose the council property. If she hasn't declared that she owns a property because she wants to keep both, then it's fraud.