District Wide March 2011 - Huntingdonshire District Council

Communities safe, vibrant and inclusive communities
Crackdown on housing tenancy fraud
BLOW THE
WHISTLE ON
HOUSING
C HE ATS
An anti fraud initiative set up by us and
Luminus, to crack down on housing fraud,
has proved a success. The initiative has been
so effective that we are now working in
partnership with Muir Housing Group to
investigate similar matters.
The Audit Commission’s report Protecting
the Public Purse exposed areas of risk for
local councils to consider, including social
housing tenants who unlawfully sub-let
their properties to people for financial gain.
Until now this area of work had relied
almost entirely on reports from members of
the public. To date 13 reports have been
received of people sub-letting their properties
unlawfully, and three properties have been
secured for re-letting to other households.
Other tenants have either had to return to
the address and live in it, or been warned
that they face eviction if they continue to
breach their tenancy conditions. A number of
investigations are continuing.
Councillor Andrew Hansard, executive
councillor for housing and public health said:
“It is important that we make the best use
of the social rented housing given the level
of demand we face. This initiative makes
sure that those who no longer need their
housing association property, and are looking
to gain by sub-letting it, will be caught and
the property re-let to those with a genuine
housing need.”
In our drive towards making savings we
are expanding our work around housing
tenancy fraud to use intensive data-matching
to identify tenants who use their properties
unlawfully. Tenants who are found to be
in breach of their tenancy face eviction and
prosecution if they have committed any
criminal offences.
If you know someone who is sub-letting
their Luminus or Muir Housing property
contact the fraud investigation team on
01480 388480 or call the confidential
fraud hotline on 01480 388188 or visit
www.hundingdonshire.gov.uk/fraud
Provider of concessionary bus passes is changing
Don’t forget that from April 1 2011, the responsibility of providing concessionary bus passes
will transfer from us to Cambridgeshire County Council.
For more information or for an application form contact Cambridgeshire
County Council on 01223 715588 or visit http://tinyurl.com/695ngrn or email
concessionary.fares@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Council tax collection steps up
At this time of year all monthly council tax
and non-domestic rates should have been
paid, although this is not always the case.
Working with bailiffs Newlyn Plc, we have
stepped up action to recover unpaid debts.
Prior to instructing bailiffs, a liability
order is issued by Huntingdon Magistrates
Court and a notice is sent to the debtors,
giving them the opportunity to contact us
to arrange payment. A minimum of five
notices are sent. All cases are checked to
ensure that the correct procedures have
been taken, and that there is no alternative
before instructing bailiffs.
Teams from Newlyn Plc have worked
across the district and made contact
with debtors to collect full payment or
make short-term arrangements in certain
cases. They patrolled areas in tow trucks,
equipped with automatic number plate
recognition cameras, and were prepared
to remove vehicles unless debtors arranged
outstanding payment. This action resulted
in several full payments, and some shortterm
arrangements being made. Additional
enforcement action will continue.
If you have council tax arrears contact
the local taxation recovery team 01480
388030 or contact the bailiff if your case
has already been passed to them for
collection, Newlyn Plc 01604 633001, or
Rossendales Ltd 0844 701 3980.
For more information visit
www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/
counciltax or contact the council tax
team 01480 388030 or benefits team
01480 388388.
Small businesses
receive over
£40,000 in refunds
There are over 1300 businesses in
Huntingdonshire that receive small
business rate relief, but many more
could be entitled.
Small businesses with a rateable
value below £6,000 will pay no
business rates until the 30 September
2011. Those with a rateable value
of between £6,000 and £12,000 will
get a phased relief, and those above
£12,000 and below £18,000 will have
their bill calculated at a reduced rate.
Our local taxation team has
contacted small businesses that may
be entitled to this relief to encourage
them to apply. As a result, 30 local
businesses have received a refund of
rates totalling over £40,000. In most
cases these businesses will not have to
pay any more rates until next October.
It’s worth checking your rates bill
to see if your property has a rateable
value below £18,000. If you are not
paying business rates on another
commercial property, you could be
entitled to business rate relief.
If you have received an application
form, please read, complete and
return it. It could save you money.
Visit www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/
businessrates or call 01480 388030.
New Ramsey library
We will continue to offer the services
that were available from the community
information centre within the new Ramsey
library for two days a week. The new
library, opening this summer, is situated
on the site of the former Ramsey Grand
on the Great Whyte. It will provide
an exciting combination of the latest
technology and all the popular services
that customers currently enjoy.
New services include self-service
machines, allowing customers to borrow,
return and renew items quickly, and pay
overdue charges, a learning centre to hold
seminars and courses, community rooms
for hire and baby changing facilities.
When it is time to move in to the new
building, the current library will close and
a mobile service will operate.
Visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/
leisure/libraries for more information
on services available, opening times
and promotional events.
20 March 2011 district wide