The Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013 (“the Act”) creates offences related to sub-letting and parting with possession of social housing and makes provision for the investigation and prosecution of social housing fraud offences. These Regulations are made under sections 7, 8 and 9(2)(b) and (c) of the Act and make provision for powers to require information for housing fraud investigation purposes.

Regulation 3 provides that a local authority may authorise an individual to exercise the powers conferred on an authorised officer under regulation 4.

Regulation 4 enables officers authorised under regulation 3 to require information from specified persons for housing fraud investigation purposes. These purposes are the prevention, detection or securing evidence for the conviction of one of the offences listed in section 7(7) of the Act.

Regulation 5 provides that it is an offence to refuse or fail to provide information when required to do so under regulation 4.

Regulation 6 makes provision for the liability of directors etc. where an offence under regulation 5 has been committed by a body corporate.

Regulation 7 sets out the time limit for commencing proceedings for an offence under regulation 5.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument. The impact assessment in relation to the Act, which assesses the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business, is available here www.gov.uk