Season 74 · Episode 32 — The Big Housing Rip-Off
Birmingham has a big and very expensive housing problem. Many vulnerable people, including victims of domestic violence and those facing homelessness, are not getting the supported housing they’ve been promised and the government has paid for, leaving them even more at risk. Meanwhile, some of the housing providers and agents responsible are making big profits from taxpayers' money. Reporter Michael Buchanan meets residents who say they've been trapped in substandard accommodation, receiving little or no support, and traces those responsible. He also meets neighbours who are concerned about a rise in antisocial behaviour, speaks to charities and local politicians who are outraged at the misuse of public funds and asks: why is this housing rip-off being allowed to continue?
Season 74 episodes
E1More than half of UK households have a pet. We value their fun, love and companionship. But vet bills have rocketed in recent years, increa…
E2As the cost-of-living crisis continues, millions are leaning on credit cards to make ends meet. Are regulators doing enough to protect us f…
E3It’s been called the worst miscarriage of justice in British history. Hundreds of postmasters were wrongly prosecuted after money disappear…
E4Panorama follows a year in the life of the BBC’s Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg, and his work reporting from one of the most hostile places…
E5Kelyan Bokassa was murdered on a bus in broad daylight in Woolwich in south east London in January 2025. He was 14 years old. A few weeks e…
E6Omar Benguit has spent 23 years in prison for murder, but there's no CCTV or forensic evidence linking him to the crime. The main prosecuti…
E7One in ten working-age people in England and Wales now claims disability or incapacity benefits. The cost to the taxpayer has increased dra…
E8Robots can already do many jobs more quickly and efficiently than humans. Soon, they may be better than us at many more tasks. In Silicon V…
E9As the conflict in the Middle East intensifies, Jane Corbin investigates the origins and aims of the US/Israeli offensive against Iran that…
E10Will assisted dying ever happen in the UK, and how would it work if it did? The BBC's medical editor, Fergus Walsh, talks to leading suppor…
E11With the cost-of-living crisis still squeezing household budgets, Colletta Smith investigates the consequences for communities, jobs and ev…
E12Two years ago, the government banned XL Bully dogs, promising it would save lives. Panorama investigates whether that commitment has been k…
E13President Trump’s crackdown on immigration has led to a big drop in the number of migrants illegally crossing the border and a sharp rise i…
E14Reports of antisemitic incidents have risen in the UK over the last few years, leaving many British Jews feeling fearful and under threat.…
E15Shock waves from the Iran War have already been felt in the UK. Fuel prices have risen and interest rates are on hold, but that could be ju…
E16Marianna Spring explores how AI slop is shaping what we see, what we believe and who we can trust. In the age of artificial intelligence, w…
E17Panorama investigates allegations that raise serious concerns that welfare procedures on Married at First Sight UK have failed contributors…
E18As families demand answers for failures in maternity services, Panorama investigates how systemic neglect, inadequate staffing and a reluct…
E19A joint investigation by Panorama and The Times newspaper into the behaviour of David Sullivan, who has announced he is stepping down as co…
E20In May last year, three arson attacks targeted the prime minister, Keir Starmer. Two properties and a car were set alight. But who lit the…
E21For decades, Dubai has sold itself as a safe place to live, do business and party. But when war broke out in nearby Iran, the city’s carefu…
E22Criminal gangs are targeting the rental market to take over properties and use them to run their operations. Panorama reporter Hazel Martin…
E23What kind of prime minister will Andy Burnham be? Laura Kuenssberg has been behind the scenes with him during his first week in power. In h…
E24When running a big school, how much discipline is too much? Richard Bilton reports from an academy trust whose stakeholders say its strict…
E25The Child Maintenance Service is meant to make sure that parents who live apart from their children make regular payments to support them.…
E26Following the new release of documents relating to the 9/11 attacks, Panorama investigates the claim that individuals working for the Saudi…
E27It’s a sex abuse scandal that has gripped the world. But despite all the headlines and stories, important questions remain unanswered about…
E28For years, organised gangs of abusers, mostly of Pakistani heritage, preyed on young girls in Oxford while the authorities looked the other…
E29It’s estimated that millions of vehicles on Britain's roads are using illegal number plates designed to evade cameras and avoid detection.…
E30Why are more younger people getting cancer? Rates of bowel, breast and other cancers are rising among younger generations according to NHS…
E31Roman Abramovich was the Russian oligarch who brought his wealth to the UK. But what’s the truth about Roman Abramovich’s fortune? Working…
E32Birmingham has a big and very expensive housing problem. Many vulnerable people, including victims of domestic violence and those facing ho…