Ipswich resident given two-year suspended jail term over false applications for social housing

Mahmut Dagdelen had been found guilty of five offences of fraud under The Fraud Act 2006 at Ipswich Magistrates Court in early April.

Three of the offences related to false housing applications and two related to Right to Buy applications.

The borough council’s investigation into the offences of social housing fraud took place over a period of more than six years.

The local authority said Dagdelen had applied for social housing whilst privately renting a property in Ipswich, falsely stating that his household income was less than £15,000 per annum and that he and his wife had no capital, savings and investments, meaning they could not afford to rent privately. 

He also asserted that his family would become homeless following the end of a private tenancy and was provided temporary accommodation from April 2017 until January 2018.

Dagdalen was then given the tenancy of a council-owned, thee-bed home, based on the circumstances he had declared in his housing applications.

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Just 13 months after the council tenancy had been granted, he submitted an application to purchase the property at a substantial discount under the Right to Buy scheme.

The council’s investigators found from his Right to Buy application that he had secured a mortgage and had amassed savings which he intended to use to fund the purchase.

Enquiries also subsequently identified that Dagdelen jointly owned the leasehold of three commercial units in Ipswich, which were purchased outright in 2016.

“Mr Dagdelen had failed to declare ownership of these leases and the rental income from the tenants in the three units in his housing application and had he done so he would have been expected to find privately rented accommodation,” the borough council said.

It estimated that the offences cost the council £158,000, “this being the cost of keeping a family in temporary accommodation who could have occupied the accommodation he was granted”.  

On top of the suspended two-year sentence, Dagdelen has also been ordered to complete 250 hours community service and a rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR), with a 6-month curfew between 7pm and 7am.

He has been ordered to pay £5,418 in costs to Ipswich Borough Council.

A proceeds of crime hearing will take place at a later date.

Cllr Alasdair Ross, Portfolio Holder for Housing at Ipswich Borough Council, said: “We would like to thank our dedicated Corporate Fraud team for investigating this long and complex case and their work in bringing this case to justice at Ipswich Crown Court.

“Mr Dagdelen’s fraudulent activities are unacceptable, and his dishonesty prevented much-needed housing being given to families who have a genuine need. We must continue to ensure social housing is given to those who need it most and we are encouraging the public to support us in doing so by reporting any suspicions to us.”