Amy Shaffron successfully represented a client in a fraud investigation by a local authority, who confirmed that no further action is to be taken against the client following her interview under caution. The client was accused of providing false information during the process of succeeding her late mother’s tenancy in their council-owned property. This was a very unsettling process for the client, who feared that she may lose her family home. The local authorities basis for believing that she had lied during the process was based on her being named as a tenant elsewhere despite claiming she was living at the family home. She accepted she was named on her husband’s tenancy, but only for the purpose of helping him meet the earning requirements to be accepted onto the tenancy. She did not consider herself as living anywhere else, so did not see it as relevant to her application to mention it.

A detailed prepared statement was drafted for the client to read at the beginning of the interview under caution in order that her account was presented and highlighting that there had been no dishonesty or misrepresentations. After the statement had been read in interview, the investigator commented that it was very helpful and thorough, and that she did not envisage having to pursue many further lines of enquiry. Less than a week later, the investigator notified us that the outcome of the investigation was ‘No Further Action’.