More than 90 Northumberland Right to Buy house purchases halted by fraud team

NewsNorth East NewsNorthumberlandThe work has saved the council almost £3 million00:15, 31 Jul 2026Nick Oliver, Northumberland County Council's cabinet member for finance(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)Fraud prevention officers in Northumberland stopped more than 90 fraudulent purchases of social housing in the last financial year. The figure represents a sharp rise on previous years after the Government significantly lowered the maximum discount available to residents.‌This saved the council and housing providers almost £3 million while also ensuring that the properties remained available for social rent for those in need. In total, 92 purchases were cancelled, with 60 of the properties belonging to Northumberland County Council itself.‌The remaining 32 belonged to the county's private social