Andy Lane

Crackdown on public sector fraud delivers over £7.5 billion of savings to the taxpayer The taxpayer will benefit from £7.53 billion in savings due to a crackdown on public sector fraud in the past year alone, new statistics today confirm.

“The taxpayer will benefit from £7.53 billion in savings due to a crackdown on public sector fraud in the past year alone, new statistics today confirm.”

www.gov.uk/government/n...

Housing Act 2004 & the Private Rented Sector - where are we now? | Cornerstone Barristers The Housing Act 2004 represented a seminal change in the management and policing by local housing authorities of conditions and standards in the private rented sector. This has been […]

The next Cornerstone Barristers Property Team webinar series

Housing Act 2004 & the Private Rented Sector – where are we now?

16 Mar 2026, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

cornerstonebarristers.com/event/housin...

Wandsworth Council cracks down on unauthorised social housing subletting - Wandsworth Borough Council

Wandsworth Council cracks down on unauthorised social housing subletting

www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/news-ja...

Reform council chair resigns following illegal HMO operations | LocalGov A council chairman has resigned after being found to have unlawfully operated unlicensed houses in multiple occupation (HMO).

Reform council chair resigns following illegal HMO operations www.localgov.co.uk/Reform-counc...

Council’s anti-fraud team save £2.4 million in just six months Almost £2.4 million has been saved and protected by Northumberland County Council’s corporate fraud team in the first six months of the 2025/26…

Northumberland Council’s anti-fraud team save £2.4m in just 6 months

www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/2580695...

Anonymous tip off leads to recovery of illegally sublet property | Latest news Read our archive of news items

Anonymous tip off leads to recovery of illegally sublet property

www.arun.gov.uk/news-archive...

Council’s anti-fraud team save £2.4 million in just six months The team investigated fraud around housing and council tax in particular

North East council's anti-fraud team save £2.4 million in just six months

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...

Housing fraud cases rise in Lambeth as property recoveries lag behind Lambeth Council’s counter-fraud team is dealing with a growing workload this year, with more fraud investigations opened and more housing-related recommendations issued, according to a new report p…

Housing fraud cases rise in Lambeth as property recoveries lag behind

www.brixtonbuzz.com/2026/01/hous...

Judge-only trials in England and Wales will not wipe out crown court backlog, report says IFG says proposed plans, which will slash the number of jury trials, will produce ‘marginal gains’ of less than 2% time saved

Judge-only trials in England and Wales will not wipe out crown court backlog, report says

www.theguardian.com/law/2026/jan...

Council fraud team finds tenant living abroad and sub-letting home West Lothian Council has found tenants living abroad, elsewhere in the UK or having abandoned their tenancy.

Council fraud team finds tenant living abroad and sub-letting home

news.stv.tv/east-central...

'Mass‑scale fraud' feared in Barking and Dagenham Council lets Police believe hundreds of council-owned homes were fraudulently allocated for personal gain.

'Mass‑scale fraud' feared in council-owned company lettings

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Is anyone familiar with how gAI works on a technical level and could comment on this? I assumed that setting out hallucinated citations in judgments wouldn't matter since the gAI has enough genuine cases to be able to be able to hallucinate convincing citations.

Serious Fraud Office announces investigation into listed social housing company

www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/housing-law/...

Stop referencing fake case citations, judges warned Practice risks embedding bogus 'authorities' as precedents, creating a growing body of misinformation.

Stop referencing fake case citations, judges warned

www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/stop-re...

Manchester United on X: "Michael Carrick is back 🤝 Our former captain is our Head Coach for the remainder of 2025/26 🔴" / X Michael Carrick is back 🤝 Our former captain is our Head Coach for the remainder of 2025/26 🔴

Good luck Michael Carrick!

x.com/manutd/statu...

Manchester United to confirm Michael Carrick as interim manager Manchester United expect to confirm Michael Carrick as the interim manager on Tuesday and will make money available for the transfer window

Manchester United to confirm Michael Carrick as interim manager

www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Trump’s ‘Superstar’ Appellate Judges Have Voted 133 to 12 in His Favor

NEW:

Trump’s ‘Superstar’ Appellate Judges Have Voted 133 to 12 in His Favor

President Trump promised to fill the appeals courts with “my judges.” They have formed a nearly united phalanx to defend his agenda from legal challenges.

🎁 > www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/u...

Planning for 2 interim managerial appointments is unhelpful and betrays a lack of planning and control. Always supporting but watching for authority, class and clarity. #GGMU

I have followed Manchester United for over half a century and have of course seen tremendous highs and lows over that time. Today’s defeat in itself is not a disaster but the loss & performance again highlights the sense that the club is not clear as to how to move forward. 1/2

Zohran Mamdani sworn in as mayor of New York City New mayor, 34, was sworn in by state attorney general Letitia James in old beaux-arts city hall subway station

Zohran Mamdani sworn in as mayor of New York City

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Croydon Council cracks down on tenancy fraud - Newsroom Croydon Council is stepping up action against tenancy fraud, to return homes to residents who have been waiting years for safe, secure accommodation.

Croydon Council cracks down on tenancy fraud news.croydon.gov.uk/croydon-coun...

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I have written a short (ish) post following on from judgment handed down in an only or principal home trial over 2 1/2 days shortly before Christmas. I have focused on evidential shortfalls in the defendant’s case,…

https://cornerstoneonsocialhousingfraud.com/2025/12/30/only-or-principal-homeagain/

Eye-watering £2.3m saved as Basildon Council crackdown on Right to Buy fraud Basildon Council have saved an eye-watering £2.3 million cracking down on people attempting to defraud the Right to Buy scheme.

www.echo-news.co.uk/news/2572265...

Taxpayer cash protected as crackdown on rogue landlords expands Hundreds of thousands of people will benefit from an expansion of a trial to tackle poor housing and protect taxpayers’ cash from rogue landlords.

Taxpayer cash protected as crackdown on rogue landlords expands

www.gov.uk/government/n...

Investigations team shortlisted for Public Sector Fraud Awards | Bedford Borough Council Bedford Borough Council’s Investigation Service has been named as a finalist in two categories at the Public Sector Counter Fraud Awards.

www.bedford.gov.uk/news/2025/in...

Court of Appeal considers the interaction between intentional homelessness and mental health | Cornerstone Barristers City of London Corporation v Bussandra [2025] EWCA Civ 1580, judgment 5 December 2025. Mr Bussandra had a long history of mental health issues. In […]

Court of Appeal considers the interaction between intentional homelessness and mental health

cornerstonebarristers.com/court-of-app...

Housing Newsletter - December 2025 | Cornerstone Barristers The latest Cornerstone Housing Newsletter is now available to read. Edited by Sarah Salmon and Tara O’Leary, the newsletter offers a fantastic selection of articles with a particular focus on […]

The @cornerstonebarristers.com Housing Newsletter is now live!

Edited by Sarah Salmon and Tara O'Leary, this edition brings together a rich collection of insights with a strong spotlight on the Renters’ Rights Act and what it means for the housing sector.

cornerstonebarristers.com/housing-news...

📢 Our latest Cornerstone Housing Newsletter is now live!

Edited by Sarah Salmon and Tara O'Leary, this edition brings together a rich collection of insights with a strong spotlight on the Renters’ Rights Act and what it means for the housing sector.

cornerstonebarristers.com/housing-news...