0:00:04 > 0:00:05I'm Michelle Ackerley.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09My parents both grew up on council estates, and as a family
0:00:09 > 0:00:13we understand the difference social housing can make to people's lives.
0:00:13 > 0:00:18Millions of families across the UK are struggling to find affordable housing.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22So, this is my front room and my bedroom together.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Many are living in temporary or overcrowded conditions,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27desperate for somewhere decent to live.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30This is our room where we sleep and this is what we've got at the minute.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32We can't really call it our home.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35But some social housing tenants are abusing the system,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38holding on to properties they no longer need.
0:00:38 > 0:00:39When somebody applies for housing,
0:00:39 > 0:00:42you expect them to live in the property and when they don't,
0:00:42 > 0:00:44it does start to take the mickey.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48Or even worse - making a small fortune by illegally subletting them.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51He was charging beyond £1,500 a month.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54He exploited this completely to his advantage.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58So, I'm with housing investigators cracking down on tenancy cheats.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02What a waste.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04If you want to commit tenancy fraud, don't bother coming here.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Reclaiming properties...
0:01:06 > 0:01:08I need to speak to you, please.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12They've seen an opportunity and they think they're not going to get caught.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15..and giving them to families in genuine need.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17That's how a council house should be.
0:01:17 > 0:01:18It should be loved and looked after.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22This is Council House Crackdown.
0:01:26 > 0:01:27Today...
0:01:27 > 0:01:32an undercover sting exposes a £150,000 benefit swindle...
0:01:32 > 0:01:34You just don't expect someone to be this brazen.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38..and unearths an astonishing attempt at tenancy fraud.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41I think the only thing that's true in this application is her name.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44The whole thing in this form is completely made up.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Yeah, a complete load of tosh.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51The hunt for a tenancy cheat after a decade of deception.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54There's the possibility that he could've approached an organised crime group.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56If people are willing to pay that money,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59they will be able to acquire false identity documents.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02And a ludicrous attempt to deceive housing authorities.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04I even said to him at one stage,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08"Do you really expect us to believe that these are your things?"
0:02:08 > 0:02:10But he just didn't have any explanation whatsoever.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28This is the lovely seaside resort of Broadstairs in Kent and it was here
0:02:28 > 0:02:31that council investigators embarked on a three-month surveillance
0:02:31 > 0:02:36operation that helped uncover a £150,000 fraud
0:02:36 > 0:02:42and an audacious attempt to obtain a highly sought-after social housing property.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49This lady, struggling into the Royal Borough of Greenwich Council offices,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52is 56-year-old Lisa White.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59She claims to be severely disabled and she's hoping that Greenwich Council
0:02:59 > 0:03:02might grant her a specially adapted property.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08What she doesn't realise is that she's already under investigation by
0:03:08 > 0:03:09Greenwich Council's fraud team.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26The story began three months earlier in Greenwich, south-east London.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29This handsome borough on the banks of the River Thames boasts a wealth
0:03:29 > 0:03:32of history and heritage.
0:03:32 > 0:03:38But at any time there can be up to 16,000 people on the social housing waiting list here.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42Counter-fraud manager Nigel Brown works for the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47When the council's housing team carried out a routine check of all their benefit claimants,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Mrs White was on the list.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54In total, she was receiving about £600, £700 a week in various benefits.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57They did a financial review on her account to make sure that she was still
0:03:57 > 0:04:00entitled to the money that was being paid to her.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04A large proportion of the benefits Lisa White received was to pay
0:04:04 > 0:04:07for full-time disability care.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Mrs White was completely disabled, unable to walk unaided,
0:04:11 > 0:04:17needed an oxygen tank and on one occasion she had told the medical team here
0:04:17 > 0:04:20in the social services that she only had three years to live.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23But when authorities examined invoices from her carer,
0:04:23 > 0:04:28they discovered that he was living 70 miles away from her in Broadstairs, Kent.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I'm no expert on travel, but I know that if I was to be travelling from
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Broadstairs every day to come and care for Mrs White every day,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43as she was reporting to be done, that would be a journey and a half.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47It would take you longer to get up here every day than it would to do the work,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49so that just really wasn't feasible.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Mrs White's file was passed on to Nigel's fraud team and amongst all
0:04:53 > 0:04:56the paperwork, one name stood out.
0:04:56 > 0:05:02On here, it shows that her carer is Andrew White and what we found was,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04when we did a credit check on Mr White...
0:05:06 > 0:05:10..it became apparent that he had various links to Lisa White, so they
0:05:10 > 0:05:13appeared to be maybe together in some way.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15And we found that,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19yes, he was related, he was her husband and they had married in 1984.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25When investigators analysed Mr White's property records,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27they made a shocking discovery.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31We then looked at the address that we had held for him in Broadstairs
0:05:31 > 0:05:33and we found that in July 2007
0:05:33 > 0:05:37both he and Mrs White had purchased a property on a mortgage and they
0:05:37 > 0:05:40were, by all effects, by all we could see,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43living in Broadstairs as a couple.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Lisa White had told authorities that she was disabled and struggling with
0:05:47 > 0:05:50an elderly mother in a one-bedroomed council flat in Greenwich.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55This evidence told a different story.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57It looked like she was actually married and a home owner,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59living with her husband, Andrew White,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03in the picturesque seaside town of Broadstairs in Kent.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11It was beginning to look like Lisa White was leading a double life and
0:06:11 > 0:06:13when investigators dug deeper,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16the evidence suggested that it wasn't just her living arrangements that
0:06:16 > 0:06:18she'd been lying about.
0:06:18 > 0:06:24We did some more checks and it soon came up that Lisa White was connected,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27not only to the address that she was living at with her husband,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31but also linked to the Bandstand in Broadstairs,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33and also the White House Cafe.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37During the spring and summer,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41the Bandstand Kiosk and the White House Cafe in the centre of Broadstairs
0:06:41 > 0:06:46are thriving businesses, serving locals and tourists alike.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49A quick check online suggested that the patrons of these flourishing
0:06:49 > 0:06:53businesses were none other than Andrew and Lisa White.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58We found several online reviews in relation to how Lisa White
0:06:58 > 0:07:01and Andrew White, husband and wife, were together and running this
0:07:01 > 0:07:03business and had done for many years,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06so of course we were thinking, if this lady is as bad as she seems,
0:07:06 > 0:07:11ie, she couldn't lift a cup of tea or walk unaided or would need a
0:07:11 > 0:07:14wheelchair to be outside to manoeuvre herself around,
0:07:14 > 0:07:18how could she be running a cafe and a bandstand?
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Since 2009, Mrs White had been claiming disability benefits
0:07:25 > 0:07:27and high rate income support
0:07:27 > 0:07:30along with financial support for medical prescriptions and a host
0:07:30 > 0:07:32of disability care payments.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Authorities calculated that Mrs White may have cheated them out
0:07:38 > 0:07:43of more than £150,000 in unentitled benefits.
0:07:44 > 0:07:45It was time to take action.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54We needed to look closer to see if we were being defrauded completely,
0:07:54 > 0:07:55and that's what we did.
0:07:55 > 0:08:01We applied to the Magistrates' Court for surveillance and we were agreed
0:08:01 > 0:08:04on a period of three months to undertake surveillance down in Broadstairs.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07Later...
0:08:07 > 0:08:10It all happened, started happening very quickly.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15..a surveillance operation to capture a benefits cheat unearths evidence of tenancy fraud.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17I could have fell off the chair, really,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19because you just don't expect someone to be this brazen.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21It was like we had hit a gold mine.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28In some cases,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32tenancy cheats are identified and brought to justice in a matter of months.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35In others it could take years. But however long it takes,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39the message from housing investigators is clear.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41There is no hiding place.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44They will track you down and they will get those properties back.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51This photo belongs to Jamaican national Duhane Hall.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56The passport it's attached to belongs to somebody else entirely.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00The cat-and-mouse game this tenancy cheat played with authorities lasted
0:09:00 > 0:09:06more than a decade and cost the taxpayer nearly £200,000.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12Counter-fraud manager Oliver Knight was in charge of the investigation.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14So, Oliver, let's go back to the very beginning.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18When did Duhane Hall first apply for a council flat?
0:09:18 > 0:09:23He initially applied for a council property in 2005,
0:09:23 > 0:09:26approached the council and basically needed accommodation.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30When authorities checked the application everything seemed in order.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34He provided his circumstances, explaining that he needed accommodation,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37he'd come from Jamaica and he was living on his own.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41- Perfectly legitimate as far as we were concerned at that time.- Yeah.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43- So, no alarm bells, it just seemed perfectly genuine.- No.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Provided sufficient identification, it all seemed above board.
0:09:47 > 0:09:52As a non-UK citizen Mr Hall was required to provide proof that not only
0:09:52 > 0:09:54was he eligible for social housing,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57that he was also a permanent resident in the UK.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01This required Home Office approval,
0:10:01 > 0:10:05with an official stamp as well as a fully stamped and approved passport.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Mr Hall was able to provide everything required by Sandwell Council.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14As well as the application
0:10:14 > 0:10:17he provided documentation from the Home Office
0:10:17 > 0:10:20explaining he had indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom
0:10:20 > 0:10:25and a Jamaican passport which was also stamped with indefinite leave to
0:10:25 > 0:10:26remain in the United Kingdom.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30And looking through this documentation, again that seemed completely above board?
0:10:30 > 0:10:35Above board and no alarm bells suggested anything untoward.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42In a 2016 study by the Office for National Statistics, Sandwell was placed
0:10:42 > 0:10:45in the top ten most deprived areas in the country.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Before he could be awarded any social housing,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Mr Hall would have to join a waiting list.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56In Sandwell we have got almost 29,000 council properties, but we still
0:10:56 > 0:10:59have 7,000 people, approximately, on the waiting list,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03so it's all about trying to get the properties to the right people.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07Authorities concluded that after leaving Jamaica to make a fresh start in
0:11:07 > 0:11:11the UK, Mr Hall was in genuine need of support.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20In March 2005 he was placed onto the social housing waiting list and
0:11:20 > 0:11:23eventually a suitable property became available.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Sandwell Council gave Duhane Hall the keys to his very own one-bedroom
0:11:29 > 0:11:32flat just six miles west of Birmingham in Oldbury.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36A one-bedroom flat, it's sought-after, isn't it?
0:11:36 > 0:11:38It is, yeah, and obviously the location that it's in,
0:11:38 > 0:11:44it's not too far away from the bigger city, so it was a good location for him.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49Satisfied that Mr Hall's needs had been met, authorities moved on to
0:11:49 > 0:11:52focus their efforts on the next applicant needing support.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56As far as Duhane Hall was concerned, the case was closed.
0:11:57 > 0:12:03But a full decade later, in September 2015, everything changed.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Every two years we take part in the national data match that matches
0:12:09 > 0:12:12records from all over the country,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15including tenancy records, benefit records.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22And it was this routine search that threw up something unusual.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24According to the national data match,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Duhane Hall should never have been placed on the social housing waiting
0:12:27 > 0:12:29list in the first place.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33In fact, he should never even have been in the country.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37According to the Home Office he had made repeated applications to remain
0:12:37 > 0:12:40in the UK, all of which had been rejected.
0:12:43 > 0:12:49It appeared that Duhane Hall had been an illegal UK resident since 2003.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52So, how long was he actually living at that council property for?
0:12:52 > 0:12:55He'd probably been living there almost ten years by this point.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58So, ten years he was living under the radar,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- basically invisible to the authorities?- He was, yeah.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04How had Duhane Hall managed to not only remain in the UK,
0:13:04 > 0:13:09but fool Sandwell Council into granting him a one-bedroom property in one of
0:13:09 > 0:13:12the most sought-after areas in the borough?
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Later...
0:13:15 > 0:13:18How does someone know how to do this? In my mind I'm just thinking,
0:13:18 > 0:13:19"It's crazy."
0:13:19 > 0:13:23..the hunt for a conman suggests links with organised crime.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25But it wasn't a case of him just doing it on his own,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28he must have had some kind of help.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Earlier, we learned how tenancy fraud officers from the Royal Borough of Greenwich
0:13:44 > 0:13:48launched an investigation into 56-year-old Lisa White.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53She claimed to be disabled and living in a one-bedroom property with an elderly mother.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56So, in total she was receiving about £600, £700 per week.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58In various benefits.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03But investigators suspected that Mrs White was actually running a thriving
0:14:03 > 0:14:06business at the Bandstand Kiosk in Broadstairs, Kent.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13To confirm their suspicions,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17fraud investigators set up surveillance in Broadstairs.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22The challenge for counter-fraud investigator Clive Parrish was to capture her on camera.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25So, what had you been told about Mrs White?
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Well, all the information and intelligence we had was that this was a woman who
0:14:29 > 0:14:30was quite severely disabled.
0:14:30 > 0:14:35She didn't go out unless she had a wheelchair and an oxygen tank.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39She could only walk indoors with the aid of a stick.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43That she was very breathless with her asthma
0:14:43 > 0:14:46and some days could barely talk because of it.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49So, you rocked up to this point, this was your, kind of, first surveillance point.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53You've got the kiosk there. What were you expecting to see?
0:14:53 > 0:14:57As soon as we arrived, and from the vantage point at the top we could see
0:14:57 > 0:14:59that there was movement already.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02It all happened, started happening very quickly.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07Clive and his surveillance team began covert filming of the Bandstand Kiosk.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09We got close enough to hear
0:15:09 > 0:15:16the man that was there, who was her husband, call her Lisa and her call him
0:15:16 > 0:15:20by his name, and so we very quickly worked out what we had.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24- And that lady was Mrs White?- That lady turned out to be Mrs White.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32The footage Clive's team captured was astonishing and proved once and for
0:15:32 > 0:15:35all what investigators suspected.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Lisa White was leading a double life.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41So, right from the off you're here filming,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44you can see that she is an able-bodied woman.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Yes, yes.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Lisa White, supposedly wheelchair-bound and severely disabled,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54seemed to be in good health and able to run a thriving seaside cafe.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Obviously you reported back to the office,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02they were waiting really with bated breath, weren't they, to see what you had managed to find?
0:16:02 > 0:16:07- What was their reaction to it?- When we played back the footage, um...
0:16:07 > 0:16:09people where amazed.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12We were in the office here waiting, I certainly was,
0:16:12 > 0:16:16eagerly waiting on the phone to see what they were going to find.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19I wouldn't say there was bets on whether or not she was going to be
0:16:19 > 0:16:22disabled or not, but it was certainly the feeling that it's going to be an interesting day.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26The first day we're down there, if we see her, as to whether she is able to walk or not.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28And it was amazing.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32When they finally called me that day and gave me an update, well,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I could have fell off the chair, really, because you just don't expect.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Even though we had a
0:16:37 > 0:16:40really huge inkling that this would be happening,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42you just don't expect someone to be this brazen.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46People just were open-mouthed in disbelief.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52In order to build a case against Mrs White the investigators had to
0:16:52 > 0:16:57demonstrate that her seemingly good health wasn't just a one-off.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00They continued filming and in the days and weeks that followed,
0:17:00 > 0:17:06Clive and the team captured footage of Mrs White walking to and from work,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08serving customers,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10and even visiting a cash-and-carry
0:17:10 > 0:17:13to stock up on supplies for the kiosk.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18All the while claiming thousands in disability benefits.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20It was like we had hit a gold mine
0:17:20 > 0:17:22in terms of what we had hoped to find.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24It was exactly what we had hoped.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26I was outraged, the whole team were outraged,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29this lady has been claiming this money for years and years.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31She is not only getting our money as well,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33she is also getting other money from the state,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36no doubt she was getting all of her prescriptions free.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Everything else that you get as a disabled person, she was taking those away
0:17:40 > 0:17:44from the genuine people that would get these benefits that are now being cut.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47It was outrageous, really, it really was.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Later...
0:17:50 > 0:17:53It was just blatant. It's an affront to disabled people.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58..Mrs White attempts to get her hands on a precious social housing property.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01But the investigators are one step ahead of her.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04She came in here as a full-blown actress, she deserved an Oscar
0:18:04 > 0:18:06for that one, I think, really, on that day.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22Earlier, Jamaican Duhane Hall was not only living illegally in the UK,
0:18:22 > 0:18:26but was also granted a social housing property by Sandwell Council.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31He provided documentation from the Home Office explaining he had
0:18:31 > 0:18:36indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom. And a passport,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39a Jamaican passport, which was also stamped with indefinite leave
0:18:39 > 0:18:41to remain in the United Kingdom.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Sandwell Council leader Steve Eling knows the effect
0:18:44 > 0:18:49tenancy fraud can have in an already economically deprived borough.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50There is a significant demand,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53particularly for social housing in Sandwell.
0:18:53 > 0:18:59And what that means is every time we've got people going in tenancies
0:18:59 > 0:19:05fraudulently, they are denying those people who are on the waiting list
0:19:05 > 0:19:10to get a decent-quality permanent home and that can't be right.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17The Home Office had informed Sandwell Council that Duhane Hall's residency
0:19:17 > 0:19:21in the UK had expired ten years earlier.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27Somehow, Mr Hall had managed to fake documentation from a government ministry.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31And we're not sure even now what that letter is and
0:19:31 > 0:19:35whether it's a genuine letter that was amended or whether it's just a completely fake letter.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37We have made enquiries with the Home Office and
0:19:37 > 0:19:39they weren't really sure one way or the other.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43After convincing authorities that he was legally entitled to remain in the UK,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Duhane Hall applied for social housing.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52He was allocated a one-bedroom property in Oldbury and then set his sights
0:19:52 > 0:19:55on illegally claiming even more benefits.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58But for that, he would need a UK passport.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02The passport itself, it was a genuine passport.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06It was reported lost about four or five years
0:20:06 > 0:20:08prior to Duhane Hall using it.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11How did he manage to doctor it, though?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14The truth is we don't actually know.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16How it ever fell into Duhane Hall's hands we're not sure.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21So, this passport number here is genuine and then he has put his information...
0:20:21 > 0:20:24- Yes, or someone has for him.- ..on top of it.- Yeah.- Cos looking at it,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27this requires real skill, it requires knowledge, doesn't it?
0:20:27 > 0:20:32- It does.- To know, even if you're not doing it yourself, knowing where to go in order to get it done.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35And that's why it was such a determined effort,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38it wasn't a case of him just doing it on his own,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41he must have had some kind of help.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Obviously there's the possibility that he could've approached an organised crime group.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49If people are willing to pay that money then they will be able to acquire a
0:20:49 > 0:20:51false identity or false identity documents.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Fake Home Office documents,
0:20:57 > 0:21:02social housing acquired through deception and a doctored passport
0:21:02 > 0:21:06acquired by a man who should have left the country ten years earlier.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11Duhane Hall was guilty of a systematic campaign to deceive Sandwell Council
0:21:11 > 0:21:15and the benefit system in a tenancy fraud on a massive scale.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19What I find baffling is how does someone know how to do this?
0:21:19 > 0:21:23- In my mind I'm just thinking, you know, "It's crazy."- Yeah.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27And I think it goes to show the level of investment he must have undertaken in
0:21:27 > 0:21:29order to go and get this property in the first place.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31It wasn't just something he stumbled across,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34he was obviously willing to put money and time and investment into it
0:21:34 > 0:21:36in order to go and get that property.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Armed with a catalogue of illegitimate paperwork,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Duhane Hall then successfully applied for housing benefit,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47council tax benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance.
0:21:47 > 0:21:48Over a ten-year period,
0:21:48 > 0:21:54Mr Hall received around £180,000 from the public purse.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59And all the while living in a council property obtained by deception.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01It's absolute deliberate fraud,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04this isn't the sort of stuff that comes about because there was a mistake,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07somebody put the wrong date on the form or something,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11this is, you know, absolute deliberate fraud.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14And he got away with it for quite some time.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Investigators had seen enough.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19It was time to confront this fraudster.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23Obviously, first and foremost what we initially try to do is try and speak to the gentleman.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27Obviously, we haven't got powers of arrest or anything like that, so a lot of the time
0:22:27 > 0:22:28it is by voluntary interview.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31He decided that he didn't want to come in and speak to us...
0:22:31 > 0:22:33I am not surprised. SHE LAUGHS
0:22:33 > 0:22:40In fact, when Duhane Hall learned that the authorities were wise to his deception, he absconded.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45What followed was a six-month investigation to track down the fraudster.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Obviously, the investigators, they can sort of take this personally, because obviously it's their job
0:22:49 > 0:22:54to try and bring these people to justice, so obviously it's all about trying to track these people down.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58- Where did you find him?- In this case the gentleman had actually taken out a doorstep loan
0:22:58 > 0:23:02at one point, so it was quite easy to establish where he was at that point in time.
0:23:02 > 0:23:08Once authorities caught up with Duhane Hall he was made to answer for his crimes.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13In court he pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud by false representation,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15and was sentenced to three years in jail.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22Sandwell Council has a strong fraud team and there is a message for people
0:23:22 > 0:23:25out there - if you want to commit tenancy fraud don't bother coming here,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28because sooner or later you will be caught.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32After a decade of deception,
0:23:32 > 0:23:37Sandwell fraud investigators were finally able to recover a much-needed property.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40What does this mean for you going forward with that property now?
0:23:40 > 0:23:42We've got the keys back.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45We've now managed to re-let that one out to a gentleman who was in
0:23:45 > 0:23:48desperate need of it, he was on the waiting list and now he's got that property.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51I am guessing now you feel a lot better that you've got the
0:23:51 > 0:23:54property back and it can be used suitably?
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Yeah, that helps to bring our waiting lists down,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58which is what it's all about.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01When Duhane Hall is released from prison he will be deported.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Wolverhampton in the West Midlands,
0:24:15 > 0:24:19an historic industrial town and one of the pioneering cities for social
0:24:19 > 0:24:21housing development after the First World War.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Social housing in this part of the UK has suffered in more recent times.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32It's been 30 years since building work on any new council property has taken place.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42But now, just south of the city, the diggers are out once more.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49Wolverhampton Homes lettings manager Pauline Evans is overseeing completion
0:24:49 > 0:24:54of 130 new council properties on the Lanesfield development site.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59This build is looking for completion around mid-September.
0:24:59 > 0:25:04I'll look to advertise these out around June, July.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09There's around 2,500 families who are looking for a
0:25:09 > 0:25:11two-bedroom home like this.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15I expect anything up to 300 bids for every property here.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18So, it's excellent that we've got new builds coming.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Until those precious new properties come online,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25authorities will have to make the best of their existing housing stock.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32Developments like this high-rise just three miles north of Lanesfield.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37It was here that Wolverhampton Homes counter-fraud manager Elaine Morgan
0:25:37 > 0:25:43had to unravel an unusual deception involving two separate flats on two separate floors.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50That was the position of the upstairs flat.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53- OK.- This is the stairwell leading to that floor.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57And then as you come down we can see the downstairs flat there.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04I see, so it's a real upstairs-downstairs scenario with this, isn't it?
0:26:04 > 0:26:05Yes, it is.
0:26:08 > 0:26:13In February 2016 the tenants in both flats placed an unusual application
0:26:13 > 0:26:15with Wolverhampton Homes.
0:26:16 > 0:26:22Why did the tenants in these properties contact the council in the first place?
0:26:22 > 0:26:26The reason they contacted the council is because they put
0:26:26 > 0:26:29a request in for a mutual exchange.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34A mutual exchange allows one tenant to swap properties with another.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38The exchange can be between two dwellings within the same local authority
0:26:38 > 0:26:42or even different local authorities anywhere in the UK.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46The only condition is that both parties enter willingly into the exchange
0:26:46 > 0:26:49and are eligible to reside in the exchanged properties.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54In this case the two tenants were neighbours living in the same block.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57The downstairs flat wanted to swap to the upstairs flat and the upstairs flat
0:26:57 > 0:27:00to swap to the downstairs flat.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02There was just one problem.
0:27:02 > 0:27:07The woman occupying the flat upstairs was listed as having at least two children.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Her flat had two bedrooms.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15Downstairs, a Mr Ahmed Ahmed was listed as living alone.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17His flat had just one bedroom.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21So, that must have started you thinking,
0:27:21 > 0:27:26"Why would a property that's got children in it want to move to a smaller one?"
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Well, if it's got children, why would they want to move to a one-bedroom flat?
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Yeah. And so what was flagged up when you started delving into the case?
0:27:33 > 0:27:37The tenant of the downstairs flat was actually the father of those children.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Investigations revealed that the two neighbours had become a couple.
0:27:44 > 0:27:50Authorities began to wonder, "If Mr Ahmed was in a relationship with the woman upstairs,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53"was he even living in his own flat?"
0:27:53 > 0:27:58Fraud investigator Louise Humphries began to suspect Mr Ahmed could be in
0:27:58 > 0:28:02breach of his tenancy agreement and possibly guilty of unlawfully
0:28:02 > 0:28:03subletting his flat.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08She decided to confront him face-to-face.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12We asked for Mr Ahmed to come in and have a chat with us and he attended
0:28:12 > 0:28:16an interview and he was just adamant that he did live at that property.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21Investigators were unconvinced and decided to call Mr Ahmed's bluff.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24They asked him to return to his flat where they'd be able to take a
0:28:24 > 0:28:27closer look at his living arrangements.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32He was adamant that he would be able to demonstrate easily to us that he
0:28:32 > 0:28:38was resident, so we asked if we could come over immediately following the
0:28:38 > 0:28:44meeting with him and he could show us what was in the property and he could demonstrate his residency.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46And so how did you end up in this stairwell?
0:28:46 > 0:28:51We left at the same time as Mr Ahmed and we drove here together,
0:28:51 > 0:28:52myself and my colleague.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54We came up onto the landing.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58Mr Ahmed hadn't arrived.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02It was then that Elaine saw something suspicious.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Whilst waiting for Mr Ahmed to arrive,
0:29:04 > 0:29:07she saw another man leaving the building
0:29:07 > 0:29:09from the direction of Mr Ahmed's property.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14When Mr Ahmed finally arrived and let them into his flat,
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Elaine spotted a photo which raised suspicions.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21And I realised that the male in the photograph - it was a young couple -
0:29:21 > 0:29:24was the male that I had seen.
0:29:24 > 0:29:25So, what were you thinking then?
0:29:25 > 0:29:29Then I started to think that that was the male who was living in the property.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32And when investigators began looking around the flat,
0:29:32 > 0:29:37the evidence suggested that the person living there was Lithuanian.
0:29:37 > 0:29:42These are some of the photographs that we took whilst in the property.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45As you can see, this is of a pregnancy scan and although it's a little bit
0:29:45 > 0:29:48unclear, you can see that there's some writing there.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50We asked Mr Ahmed what it said.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53He wasn't able to tell us.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Again, we found this, I believe,
0:29:55 > 0:30:00in the kitchen and it's a shopping list, again in another language.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04Which is a language that Mr Ahmed can't speak, so again you're
0:30:04 > 0:30:06thinking, "Why are all these things here?"
0:30:06 > 0:30:09That's right. There was this reading book on top of the fireplace that was
0:30:09 > 0:30:14sort of opened on a page and put down as though someone had been reading
0:30:14 > 0:30:15it and left it behind,
0:30:15 > 0:30:19and, again, he said he couldn't read that language.
0:30:19 > 0:30:24I don't think he could even tell us what the language was that the book was written in.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27He's taking you into his property that he's supposedly living in.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31You're seeing all this evidence around you and he's basically saying,
0:30:31 > 0:30:33- "Well, I don't know."- Yeah, yeah.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35And I think I even said to him at one stage,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38"Do you really expect us to believe that, you know,
0:30:38 > 0:30:42"these are your things or that nobody else is living here?"
0:30:42 > 0:30:46- But he just didn't have any explanation whatsoever.- No.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50When you're stood there and he's basically blurting out lie after lie,
0:30:50 > 0:30:52what were you thinking at that point?
0:30:52 > 0:30:54Yeah, it was clearly a lie and everything we asked,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57we asked him to show us his belongings in the property and he wasn't able
0:30:57 > 0:31:00to show us anything in there that belonged to him.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02It was clear somebody was living in there,
0:31:02 > 0:31:04we just didn't believe it was him.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10And when investigators examined Mr Ahmed's bank statements,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13their suspicions were further aroused.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18There was a transaction for Google SpareRoom for a charge of £10.99.
0:31:18 > 0:31:23Google SpareRoom is a website which advertises properties to let.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27The price of £10.99 is the price that you pay to advertise your property,
0:31:27 > 0:31:32so I think it was to advertise for a week and that was the charge.
0:31:32 > 0:31:37The evidence suggested that Mr Ahmed was not living at his flat, and somebody else was.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44The investigators decided to give Mr Ahmed one last chance.
0:31:44 > 0:31:49We offered him the opportunity to terminate his tenancy, because if he'd have done so,
0:31:49 > 0:31:54we wouldn't have taken any further action against him at that stage, but he didn't do that.
0:31:54 > 0:31:59He decided that he would take it to court, so that's what we did.
0:31:59 > 0:32:04Mr Ahmed engaged the services of a barrister and even persuaded the man
0:32:04 > 0:32:08suspected of subletting his flat to testify in civil court.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10But after weighing the evidence,
0:32:10 > 0:32:14the judge awarded in favour of Wolverhampton Homes.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18The judge took all of our evidence in entirety and he awarded us
0:32:18 > 0:32:20possession of the property.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24He stated that he didn't believe any of the evidence that Mr Ahmed had brought
0:32:24 > 0:32:27forward and dismissed all of their evidence.
0:32:27 > 0:32:32Mr Ahmed's tenancy was revoked and the team was able to take back possession of the flat.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36Had he not applied for a mutual exchange,
0:32:36 > 0:32:40there's no telling how long he could have got away with this deception.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43We've now got a one-bedroom flat that we can allocate to somebody else
0:32:43 > 0:32:47who genuinely needs it and not just someone that's going to rent it out.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51There are so many people on our waiting list and social housing
0:32:51 > 0:32:55properties are so sought after and so scarce now that we simply cannot
0:32:55 > 0:32:58afford to sit back and allow that to happen.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12Earlier, we saw how counter-fraud investigators managed to capture
0:33:12 > 0:33:17astonishing footage of 56-year-old Lisa White after she'd claimed to be
0:33:17 > 0:33:20severely disabled and wheelchair-bound.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22I could have fell off the chair, really,
0:33:22 > 0:33:25because you just don't expect someone to be this brazen.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27It was like we'd hit a gold mine.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32The evidence against Mrs White was starting to add up, but what happened
0:33:32 > 0:33:34next took everyone by surprise.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39We was in the middle of the investigation and we didn't do surveillance
0:33:39 > 0:33:43every day, because obviously it's a long period of time,
0:33:43 > 0:33:44so on this one particular day,
0:33:44 > 0:33:48we got an notification that Miss White had been in the building and had
0:33:48 > 0:33:52submitted a housing form to seek housing for herself.
0:33:52 > 0:33:58The team immediately checked the CCTV footage of Mrs White's visit to the council offices.
0:33:58 > 0:34:03What they witnessed was a complete contrast to the Mrs White they had been
0:34:03 > 0:34:04filming over the past few weeks.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14We then had footage of her coming in, supported by her husband,
0:34:14 > 0:34:15barely able to walk.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20She looks as though she's barely able to breathe as well, a lot of head movements.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22She looked dreadful,
0:34:22 > 0:34:26but yet two days later when our team were back out following her around,
0:34:26 > 0:34:29she was almost as fit as a fiddle.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31It was a complete put-on.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35She had come in here to try and get housing which would have been
0:34:35 > 0:34:38specially adapted housing for her needs with her oxygen tank and all the
0:34:38 > 0:34:41other things that she needs to keep her alive, allegedly.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43She would have cost us a fortune.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46She came in here as a full-blown actress.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49She deserved her Oscar for that one, I think, really, on that day.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52Having witnessed her activities in Broadstairs,
0:34:52 > 0:34:57investigators knew that Mrs White's tenancy application was fraudulent.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00I think the only thing that's true on this application is her name.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04The whole thing in this form is completely made up.
0:35:04 > 0:35:05Yeah, complete load of tosh.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08On top of claiming thousands in disability benefits,
0:35:08 > 0:35:13Mrs White was now planning on claiming a council flat to call her own.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18And all courtesy of the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22But by now, investigators had cast-iron proof that Lisa White already
0:35:22 > 0:35:25owned her own luxury apartment in Broadstairs.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27I mean, this is an ideal setting.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31The building is stunning, it's right on the coast.
0:35:31 > 0:35:32What's it like inside?
0:35:32 > 0:35:35- Describe it to me.- Well, quite amazing. Very luxurious.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38I mean, the entrance hall,
0:35:38 > 0:35:42it still looks like an old Victorian hotel reception.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44It's really quite beautiful.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47The evidence against Lisa White was irrefutable.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50On 28 September 2015,
0:35:50 > 0:35:56she was arrested at her Grand Mansions apartment on 13 fraud-related charges.
0:35:56 > 0:36:01In the apartment, police found no walking stick or oxygen tank.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05Instead, they discovered more than £5,000
0:36:05 > 0:36:09of unused prescription medicine.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13And when they examined the hard drive on her computer, they also found this.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19MUSIC: All I Want For Christmas by Mariah Carey
0:36:21 > 0:36:24# I don't want a lot for Christmas
0:36:24 > 0:36:27# There is just one thing I need
0:36:27 > 0:36:33# Don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree... #
0:36:33 > 0:36:36And just when investigators had thought they'd seen it all.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40It was just blatant that she was running a business down here,
0:36:40 > 0:36:45living a very nice lifestyle and she was moving about very freely and
0:36:45 > 0:36:47wasn't a disabled person.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50She went, "All I want for Christmas," but she had pretty much got everything.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52She'd got her nice little flat in Broadstairs,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55another council flat she thought she was going to get up here,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58her two businesses and a nice £37,000 mobility vehicle,
0:36:58 > 0:37:01so I don't think she needed much more for Christmas that year.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06In the end, it was Lisa White's own greed,
0:37:06 > 0:37:10her attempt to get a council flat, that was to be her undoing.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12So, really, her coming in here,
0:37:12 > 0:37:14technically during the middle of our surveillance,
0:37:14 > 0:37:19was a blessing in disguise, because it just showed the true level of how she
0:37:19 > 0:37:22was pretending to be. It actually couldn't have gone any better.
0:37:22 > 0:37:28By now investigators had been able to fully examine the extent of Mrs White's fraud.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31What they uncovered amounted to a systematic abuse of the
0:37:31 > 0:37:35benefits system stretching back more than six years.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39Mrs White stole, that we could prove, just over £150,000.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42Over a course of a few years she had been on cruises,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45we found evidence she had been on cruises around the world.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48In fact, even after she was arrested by the police and then bailed for
0:37:48 > 0:37:51this, she then went on a £9,000 cruise,
0:37:51 > 0:37:55so she clearly didn't have any remorse at all for the taxpayer that she'd stolen
0:37:55 > 0:37:58from or the people that she may have deprived of the use of a nice
0:37:58 > 0:38:00council property, if she had got the thing.
0:38:00 > 0:38:01So, Ron, you're local to the area.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05What did you think when you heard about the case of Mrs White?
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Well, I thought it was absolutely disgusting. I really did.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11Did she think we owed her something or...?
0:38:11 > 0:38:14I don't know how their minds work
0:38:14 > 0:38:18to be able to do this kind of thing.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22No, I find it really difficult to understand.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25There's somebody there taking money from people who really need it.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29I mean, that's the worst sort as well, when you read the total amount,
0:38:29 > 0:38:35and also being able to go to a van and carry boxes and been seen dancing.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39I would give my right arm to be able to do any of those things.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41No, it makes me feel very, very cross about her.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44On March 2nd 2017,
0:38:44 > 0:38:48after pleading guilty to one of the most shocking cases of benefit and
0:38:48 > 0:38:52attempted tenancy fraud ever witnessed by Greenwich Council,
0:38:52 > 0:38:53Mr and Mrs White faced the judge.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02For his part in the deception Mrs White's husband Andrew received
0:39:02 > 0:39:06a nine-month sentence suspended for two years.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10Lisa White received an 18-month prison term.
0:39:10 > 0:39:15Summing up her fraudulent behaviour, the judge stated...
0:39:27 > 0:39:32You had invested a lot of time in this case to gather up the evidence that you needed.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35On a personal level, aside from being an investigator,
0:39:35 > 0:39:37how did it make you feel?
0:39:37 > 0:39:41Well, it made me think that it's greed and completely unnecessary.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44There were benefits in payment that this lady wasn't entitled to.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47She was claiming to be disabled.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50It's an affront to disabled people.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53To come away knowing that she's now got to reflect on her crime over the
0:39:53 > 0:39:58next few months or 18 months in prison is actually quite a nice feeling.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01Hopefully, it might actually make her think twice about coming out and
0:40:01 > 0:40:03doing the same again.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09If fraud investigators hadn't exposed Lisa White's deception,
0:40:09 > 0:40:14she would have obtained a specially adapted council property while others were left waiting.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23This is Leanna Horne from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire.
0:40:23 > 0:40:28She has first-hand experience of the uncertainty faced by disabled people
0:40:28 > 0:40:31who find themselves on the social housing waiting list.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37- Yeah, that's better.- Better.- That is better.- It felt a lot better.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42Paralympian Leanna represents the UK in club throws, shot putts and discus.
0:40:42 > 0:40:47Fiercely independent, Leanna was living in a privately rented flat,
0:40:47 > 0:40:49but when her tenancy ended abruptly,
0:40:49 > 0:40:53she faced the prospect of having to find somewhere else to live.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58I just thought, you know, "Is somebody having a laugh?
0:40:58 > 0:41:00"Is somebody...is this a joke?"
0:41:00 > 0:41:04But obviously when you're handed a repossession notice you realise it's not a joke.
0:41:05 > 0:41:06Door!
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Dog, dog!
0:41:08 > 0:41:10- Good girl.- Hello, sweetheart.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Hello. Hi, how are you?
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Not too bad, thank you. Judy, in you come, darling. Good girl.
0:41:17 > 0:41:22Leanna turned to Jo Rice from the Bromsgrove District Housing Trust for help.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24When I had to go to BDHT,
0:41:24 > 0:41:28that initial phone call, I felt completely defeated.
0:41:28 > 0:41:33I thought I'd let everybody down because I had always been independent
0:41:33 > 0:41:34and done everything myself.
0:41:34 > 0:41:39Eight weeks on and Jo has given Leanna the keys to a new social housing
0:41:39 > 0:41:42property, perfectly suited to her needs.
0:41:42 > 0:41:47To actually be able to find accommodation which is suitable for our
0:41:47 > 0:41:50customers when they have been through quite an anxious journey,
0:41:50 > 0:41:54such as Leanna has been, is just a really good feeling.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58- Are you settled?- Getting there slowly.- All sorted?- Yeah. Getting there slowly.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00It was a huge, huge relief for me.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04I suddenly know that I'm safe, I'm secure
0:42:04 > 0:42:06and nobody can take this away from me.
0:42:10 > 0:42:15Leanna has cerebral palsy, so requires specially adapted accommodation.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Because of the opportunities afforded by social housing,
0:42:18 > 0:42:22she now has everything she needs to lead a truly independent life.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26- Do you want to have a look in the bedroom, what they've done with the hoist?- Yeah, fabulous.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28Yeah, so they managed to use the same tracking as well...
0:42:28 > 0:42:31- That's really good.- ..from my old property,
0:42:31 > 0:42:34so it kept the cost down, but it also made it quicker for them to get it in,
0:42:34 > 0:42:37which is obviously the main thing, cos if I can't get in and out of
0:42:37 > 0:42:39- bed, it's a bit difficult.- That's really good.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43If I look back to the beginning when this was kind of dropped on me,
0:42:43 > 0:42:47I couldn't see a way out, and then to suddenly look at this now,
0:42:47 > 0:42:49it does seem almost like a fairy tale.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53This is the end result. This is the best result that's possible,
0:42:53 > 0:42:55when somebody comes in to you with housing need.
0:42:55 > 0:43:00They're in crisis and to be able to help people is really important to me.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02It makes my job worthwhile.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05I still can't believe it and every morning I pinch myself and go,
0:43:05 > 0:43:07"This is my home now."
0:43:07 > 0:43:12Leanna's determination to lead an independent life is truly inspiring and
0:43:12 > 0:43:16it's for people like her that housing investigators will continue in their
0:43:16 > 0:43:20relentless fight to reclaim properties from tenancy cheats and give them
0:43:20 > 0:43:23to people who really need them.