蜜芽传媒

There are claims that a 'rising鈥� number of unscrupulous rogue landlords are 'gaming the system' and making money out of vulnerable women who鈥檝e fled domestic violence and others in crisis.

It鈥檚 believed tens of millions of tax payers' money is being wrongfully claimed as some landlords fail to provide support services to women who desperately need help.

Today, in a special report, 蜜芽传媒 Radio 4鈥檚 Woman鈥檚 Hour reveals how these women are being exploited a second time round in what is officially called 'exempt accommodation.'

It's called 鈥榚xempt accommodation鈥� because landlords are exempt from the normal housing benefit rules. They can get much more - perhaps double or even triple the amount of rent per room, for each person living in the flat, the hostel or in a house of multiple occupation (HMO.)

The reason why they're able to claim this higher 鈥� 鈥榚nhanced鈥� - housing benefit for the people living there, is because they're meant to spend that extra money on wraparound care and support to get someone out of crisis and back on track.

In this clip, Charlotte, who has waived her right to anonymity to speak to Woman鈥檚 Hour, describes her experience of 鈥榚xempt accommodation鈥�.

Today Woman鈥檚 Hour can reveal that social justice charity Commonweal Housing and more than 40 other leading organisations have sent a letter - shared exclusively with the 蜜芽传媒 Radio 4 programme - to two secretaries of state warning them that this type of housing has become a 'gold rush' for some rogue landlords who use legal loopholes to exploit and profiteer.

A spokesperson for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said:

鈥淲e are providing councils with 拢125 million this year to deliver specialist support in safe accommodation for domestic abuse victims.

鈥淚t is completely unacceptable for anyone to abuse the Exempt Accommodation system, which is why we have invested over 拢5 million to support some of the worst affected areas. We will continue to support councils to drive out rogue landlords.鈥�

You can hear the full special report by heading to 蜜芽传媒 Sounds and listening to the 蜜芽传媒 Radio 4 Woman鈥檚 Hour podcast episode from 21 February.

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