Thousands of unemployed benefit claimants are being
“warehoused” in small rooms in terraced houses that landlords are presenting as
flats in order to obtain the highest possible housing benefit, a Sunday Times
investigation has revealed. Council officials say the bogus flats, which have
been found in London, the West Midlands and Leeds, are costing taxpayers tens
of millions of pounds in wasted housing benefits. A two-bedroom terraced house
can be divided into up to six rooms with lavatories without planning
permission. Landlords say the units are single rooms for the purposes of
avoiding planning enforcement, yet insist they are flats when claiming housing
benefit. Read more on the Sunday Times
website.
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