Magistrates said that Rajesh Kumar Rattu had taken advantage of the system, planning his various offences with “inside information”.
Rattu, who worked as a housing officer for Slough Borough Council, lied on forms stating that he had never held a social housing tenancy before, and that he had lived in the borough for five years before making his application in 2017.
He forged a letter, posing as his mother to confirm his residency status, and made two other declarations confirming the false declarations.
The lies were discovered when enquiries about his application revealed he had held a housing association tenancy before, and had lived in Windsor and Maidenhead during the previous five years.
Rattu admitted to four counts of fraud, and was given a six month sentence for each count to run concurrently, though this was suspended for 12 months.
He was also ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work, pay £1,500 in costs and a victim surcharge of £115.
Richard West, interim director of place and development, said Rattu’s “manipulation of the system” could have had consequences for others living in the borough.
He said: “The fraud could have caused considerable harm to someone else who would have missed out on the opportunity to be adequately housed.
“The information was found to be false by the thorough work the teams carry out to make sure only people who are eligible for social housing are assisted.”
