Briefly describe the initiative/ project/service; please include your aims and objectives

The National Right to Buy (RTB) Anti-Fraud Service is a strategic public sector initiative developed and led by the National Anti-Fraud Network (NAFN) and National Hunter. It was created in response to a growing challenge within the Government’s Right to Buy scheme, where councils were increasingly encountering suspicious applications but had no lawful route to access the financial intelligence needed to verify concerns. This gap left local authorities exposed, limited their ability to protect housing stock and created opportunities for organised fraud.

The service provides a secure and legally compliant referral gateway through which councils can access intelligence from National Hunter’s network of more than 90 financial institutions. This gives investigators the information they need to confirm or challenge applications and make confident, evidence\-based decisions.

The aims were clear from the outset:

• prevent fraud within the Right to Buy scheme
• give investigators access to financial intelligence they could not previously obtain
• strengthen public sector capacity to enforce against housing fraud
• support wider safeguarding and financial integrity across housing and tenancy

The initiative aligns directly with the award category by transforming a critical public service through data-driven innovation, cross-sector collaboration and a culture shift in how councils approach fraud prevention. It has changed the way local authorities assess risk, make decisions and protect public assets.

What are the key achievements?

The service has delivered significant and measurable results for local authorities, housing investigators and the wider financial community. Since its launch in 2017, it has prevented more than £6 million in fraudulent RTB applications. Individual cases demonstrate the impact: a £167,000 application was refused after false residency was uncovered and a £240,000 claim was blocked due to undisclosed property ownership. These decisions directly protected public funds and prevented valuable housing stock from being transferred into fraudulent ownership.

The model proved its adaptability during the Covid 19 pandemic, when it was rapidly expanded to support business grant investigations. Using the same secure infrastructure, councils were able to identify mule accounts and prevent £29 million in attempted fraud. This showed the flexibility of the approach and its value beyond the housing sector.

The service has also improved the quality and consistency of investigations. Councils now have access to financial intelligence that confirms or challenges applications, reducing delays and increasing confidence in decisions regarding refusals, escalations, and enforcement. Investigators report faster turnaround times, clearer decision-making and a more robust audit trail.

The impact continues to grow. In 2025, the service expanded to support shared ownership and subletting abuse, reflecting the changing nature of housing fraud. Based on current usage and historic trends, projected savings for 2025 alone are expected to exceed £2 million.

The initiative has strengthened practice and culture across the sector. Authorities describe the service as “game-changing,” providing a level of assurance and consistency that did not previously exist. Standardised, legally compliant processes are now embedded across councils, reducing the risk of error and improving the quality of enforcement.

How Innovative is your initiative?

The National RTB Anti?Fraud Service is innovative because it rethinks how public bodies access and use financial intelligence to protect public assets. Before its creation, councils had no lawful route to obtain the financial insight needed to verify suspicious RTB applications. The service bridged this long?standing gap by creating a secure, compliant and practical way for local authorities to access intelligence that had previously been out of reach.

The two?way referral model is central to its innovation. Local authorities submit cases to NAFN, which reviews each application for investigative merit and legal integrity. Cases are then shared with National Hunter’s network of financial institutions, who can confirm or challenge the legitimacy of the application. In return, financial institutions can raise concerns with public bodies when mortgage or account activity suggests deception. This structured channel between local government and the financial sector had never existed before.

The service also demonstrated innovation through its adaptability. During the pandemic, the model was expanded to support business grant investigations, preventing £29 million in losses. This showed that the approach was not only effective but flexible enough to be applied to new and emerging risks.

Innovation is also evident in how the service supports investigators. Councils now have access to intelligence that directly informs decision?making, reducing delays and increasing confidence in enforcement. The NAFN Academy provides training and guidance to embed the service into day?to?day practice, while intelligence alerts and policy briefings ensure practitioners stay informed about trends and risks.

The initiative continues to evolve. In 2025, its scope expanded to include shared ownership and sub?letting abuse, ensuring the model remains relevant and responsive to new threats. It has set a new standard for how intelligence can be shared across sectors to prevent fraud before it happens.

What are the key learning points?

The initiative has generated valuable learning that can be applied across the public sector. The first lesson is the importance of creating lawful, secure and trusted channels for intelligence?sharing. Councils had long recognised the need for financial insight but lacked a mechanism to obtain it. By designing a model that is compliant, proportionate and easy to use, the service demonstrated how barriers to information?sharing can be overcome.

A second lesson is the value of cross?sector collaboration. The partnership between NAFN and National Hunter brought together public?sector investigators and private?sector financial institutions in a way that had not been achieved before. This collaboration created a shared understanding of risk and a more coordinated response to fraud. It also showed that private?sector intelligence can be used safely and effectively to support public?sector decision?making. The initiative also highlighted the importance of adaptability. The rapid expansion of the model during the pandemic demonstrated that a well?designed service can be repurposed quickly to meet new challenges. This flexibility is now built into the approach, enabling the service to support emerging risks such as shared ownership and sub?letting abuse.

Sustainability has been another key learning point. The cost?recovery model ensures the service is financially viable, while the NAFN Academy provides ongoing training and resources to embed the approach into everyday practice. Intelligence alerts and policy briefings help maintain consistency and support continuous improvement.

Finally, the initiative has shown that innovation does not always require new technology; sometimes it requires rethinking relationships, processes and access to information. By creating a simple but powerful mechanism for intelligence?sharing, the service has delivered long?term benefits that can be replicated across other areas of fraud prevention.