Benefit fraud

A teenage mother had her child tax credits stopped after she was wrongly accused of being married to a dead 74-year-old man, the BBC has learned.

Nicola McKenzie is one of hundreds of people complaining they have been incorrectly punished by the US firm Concentrix, used by the government to cut tax credit fraud and overpayment. She is struggling to feed her son, she told the Victoria Derbyshire programme.

The government said Concentrix would "not be paid" for wrong decisions.

This is not the point. Do they suffer any penalty if they have people's tax credits stopped wrongly?

The Treasury has revealed 120 cases since last October where the company did not "fully" meet the performance standards laid out in its contract. But it is feared the actual number may be higher. The Facebook campaign group Concentrix Mums, which has 5,600 members, says hundreds more people have been affected by errors.

Labour MP Louise Haigh is demanding that Concentrix be stripped of its contract, saying: "They've stopped people's benefits on a quite incredible scale in order to chase profits."

Ms McKenzie, a 19-year-old single mother from West Yorkshire, received a letter from the company saying her child tax credits would be cancelled. "Basically they were accusing me of being married to a 74-year-old bloke that used to live here way before I did, saying that it's a normal thing for my kind of age," she said. "When I spoke to the council, they said he was deceased and died on 5 July 2016. Then they said 'Well, you still need to get him to make contact with us'. And I said 'Well, heaven doesn't have opening hours, so what do you want me to do about that?'."

Ms McKenzie said she had lost £64 a week, which meant she was finding it difficult to provide nappies and food for her two-year-old son.

In May last year, Concentrix won a £75m contract to try to save the government more than £1bn in incorrect or fraudulent tax credit payments.

Tax credits - the Child Tax Credit and the Working Tax Credit - are government payments made to households on low incomes. Concentrix's government contract is based on a payment-by-results model, with the "maximisation of revenue flows" as one of its key requirements - meaning it makes more money if it cuts more payments.

Sharon Scargill, a mother from West Yorkshire, told the Victoria Derbyshire programme her tax credits had been cut after she received a letter from the company saying she was living with another woman of whom she had never heard. "I've got £20 to last me two weeks, as of yesterday, to feed me and my daughter and for the bills that I'm supposed to pay and the gas and electric," she said.

Ms Haigh, MP for Sheffield Heeley, said some people receiving the letters were confusing them with a phishing scam, as they asked for "very personal details", such as bank statements and information on partners' details. The problems with Concentrix were on a "grand scale", she added.

But an HM Revenue and Customs spokesperson said support was "available for those who need it", adding: "We take great care to make sure that correct tax credit payments are made to prevent customers getting into debt, which they may struggle to repay. Payments to Concentrix are based on the quality and accuracy of their work. They will not be paid if the decisions they make about claimants' awards are wrong."

Not paying them is not the point. How are they penalised for having tax credit payments stopped wrongly?

A Concentrix spokesman said: "We recognise that the re-evaluation of individual tax credits claims can be difficult for all concerned. We adopt a rigorous process at every stage to ensure we manage this process responsibly, and in full accordance with the protocols and guidance set by HMRC."

That's a lie.

This blog opposes all benefit fraud. But tackling it this way is utterly wrong.

Concentrix, the US firm accused of incorrectly withdrawing tax credits from hundreds of claimants, will not have its contract renewed, HMRC says. The firm, employed by the government to cut tax credit fraud and overpayment, will, however, complete its current contract which expires in May 2017.

In the eight months until then Concentrix will work on clearing outstanding cases, said HMRC.

Concentrix said it had operated "within the guidance set by HMRC". "The HMRC statement not to renew the contract attacks our professional credibility, and the commitment of our staff who have performed determinedly, despite the issues with HMRC policies and procedures," said a spokesperson.

Concentrix won a £75m contract to try to save the government more than £1bn in incorrect or fraudulent tax credit payments in May last year.

But in a statement on Tuesday, HMRC's chief executive Jon Thompson said: "While it's right that we ensure that tax credits customers only receive the money to which they're entitled, it is vital that those customers have a high level of service. That's why we have decided not to extend our contract with Concentrix and HMRC is redeploying 150 staff so that customers can get through to advisers and resolve any issues about their claim."

The Treasury has revealed 120 cases since last October where Concentrix did not "fully" meet the performance standards laid out in its contract. But it is feared the actual number may be higher. The Facebook campaign group Concentrix Mums, which has 5,600 members, says hundreds more people have been affected by errors.

Labour MP and chairman of the Commons Work and Pensions Committee Frank Field, who had urged the government to investigate concerns over Concentrix, welcomed HMRC's decision, saying the firm's "reign of terror" was coming to a close. "The government has acted decisively in protecting vulnerable Britain. This holds out huge prospects and, for some exploiters, horror, in the near future," he added.

The BBC earlier reported the case of Nicola McKenzie, a teenage mother who had her child tax credits stopped after she was wrongly accused of being married to a 74-year-old dead man.

Tax credits - the Child Tax Credit and the Working Tax Credit - are government payments made to households on low incomes.

Concentrix's government contract is based on a payment-by-results model, with the "maximisation of revenue flows" as one of its key requirements - meaning it makes more money if it cuts more payments.

But a spokesperson for the firm said it had not been incentivised to make wrong decisions for claimants.

The spokesperson added: "In-fact [we] would be penalised heavily for failure to adhere to HMRC policies and procedures. Through the term of the contract we are pleased to have saved the taxpayer nearly £300m in authentic confirmed tax fraud and error which otherwise would have cost the taxpayer money".

Essentially Concentrix decided to try to bully those in need and do their work on the cheap. Sadly, this may give payment by results a bad name.

A former care worker who raked in more than £30,000 in benefits she had no right to claim has been jailed for four months after offering to pay back just £150 a month.

Maureen Franklin, 63, received housing benefit, council tax benefit and employment support allowance after losing her job with Housing & Care 21 due to health issues.

She applied for payments totalling £32,985.10 over four years on the basis she was a single woman unfit to work with no means of support.

But Franklin failed to tell the Department for Work and Pensions she had been paid more than £16,000 along with a lump sum of £21,595.09 from Westminster Council in pension payments.

Franklin moved to the UK from St Lucia almost 40 years ago and had worked as a carer for 17 of those years, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.

She also failed to disclose that she was living in a house owned by her son.

Franklin has since agreed to repay £150 per month – which will take her almost 18 years to settle.

She pleaded guilty to two counts of dishonestly making false statements to obtain benefits last month.

Ibrahim Hussain, defending, said Franklin gave up working and applied for benefits due to her health issues and advice she received afterwards. She has constant severe back pain, which leaves her only able to walk with a stick, and arthritis. Franklin has shown ‘deep regret and remorse’ and was ‘putting her hands up to the matter’, added Mr Hussain.

But jailing Franklin for four months the judge, Mr Recorder Jonathan Mann, QC, said: ‘There has been no material attempt to repay the £33,000. I am told that you are now paying back £150 per month but the reality is that that will take a number of years to repay. I am a little surprised that there has been very little attempt to repay that sum.’

Frederick, from Dagenham, east London, was jailed for four months. One of her sons could be heard bawling in the public gallery as his mother was led to the cells.

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A Middlesbrough pensioner caged for a £40,000 benefits fraud can have “no complaints” about his tough sentence, senior judges have ruled.

Edward Blackburn was jailed for 12 months at Teesside Crown Court in April after he admitted fraud by failing to disclose a change in circumstance.

The 65-year-old claimed various benefits without disclosing that his wife had secured work, London’s Appeal Court heard.

“As a result, £40,000 in benefits was wrongly paid out,” said Mr Justice Haddon-Cave, who was sitting with Lady Justice Sharp and Mrs Justice Laing. “Blackburn misled the authorities by not telling them that his partner had got work. The fraud lasted for four years, from 2010 to 2014, and the amount involved was very considerable.”

Blackburn’s crime was made all the worse by the fact that he had been warned about a previous benefits scam some years earlier for which he “managed to escape prosecution”.

“That was a shot across his bows and a clear warning from the authorities,” said the judge, who added: “Unfortunately he chose to ignore that”.

“He cannot in our view complain at all about this sentence”, he concluded. “The net sentence cannot on any view be regarded as manifestly excessive. The appeal is dismissed.”

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A woman who claimed she was single and her estranged partner was only sleeping in a car in the driveway (!) has been sentenced for benefit fraud. (h/t Dave)

Melanie Fincham's claims were fraudulent from the outset and she pocketed £39,301, Nottingham Crown Court heard. She had claimed she was a lone parent, single, and had no other income - when her estranged partner was actually living with her.

Fraud investigators began to delve into her background. She had claimed her other half worked away in the week and returned at weekends, and parked his car in their driveway and slept in the car.

Prosecutor Duncan Craig said when she was asked why he did not stay with relatives on the same street, the reply was that they "did not get on". "She acknowledged she did his washing, not his ironing, and acknowledged he did some gardening," he said. "She said they were estranged and not in a relationship."

Despite Fincham's claims, she went on to admit four allegations of fraud.

Mr Craig told the court - where Fincham received 18 months in prison, suspended for 18 months - that she fraudulently claimed more than £4,000 in income support; more than £6,000 in Job Seeker's Allowance; and failed to declare a change in her circumstances between May 2, 2012, and April 13, 2015, regarding £15,047.99 in Employment Support Allowance, housing benefit to the tune of £16,594.54, and council tax worth more than £2,000.

The Department for Work and Pensions had received intelligence on June 7, 2014, that she was cohabiting with her estranged partner.

Fincham, who was of previous good character, was living at two addresses in Devon Road in Newark, he said. Two vehicles – a silver Land Rover Discovery and a white Ford Transit - both registered to her partner, were parked outside one of the addresses in Devon Road. He was paying the TV Licence, a Virgin Media account and had a bank account registered to his name at one of the addresses.

Mr Craig, referring to the sentencing guidelines, said the fraud was over a sustained period – five years – and was fraudulent from the outset.

Sarah Munro, mitigating, told the court the defendant was repaying the money. "To lose your character at 46 in such a dramatic way is something Mrs Fincham is deeply upset about," she said. "She has lost a lot. She tells me in law she appreciates she has done wrong. Initially she was not with her partner. For five days a week he was away. They were not in a relationship."

Recorder Martine Kushner said: "The reality is you received money for board from your estranged husband while you were not in a relationship." She said she had taken into account Fincham's plea of guilty, her loss of character and she that was repaying the money.

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The self-styled 'king of male strip tease shows', Barry Solomons, has been jailed for 28 months for tax evasion and benefit fraud.

The 71-year-old from Bristol is the founder of male stripper troupes 'Dreamboys' and 'Dream Idols', and also wrote The power behind the Pouch.

Solomons, also known as Barri Bacco, claimed £175,390.01 in fraudulent benefits while not declaring an income of more than £219,000. He also evaded £38,731.47 in income tax between 2005 and 2013, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.

His former business partner Laurel Goodman, 55, fraudulently claimed £122,716.82 in benefits, did not declare an income of more than £402,000 and evaded £30,434.18 of income tax between 2007 and 2013.

Solomons also claimed housing benefits for two separate properties from Islington Borough Council and Goodwin claimed for a house from Barnet Borough Council.

Prosecutor Andrew Evans said the pair were investigated by the DWP for fraud and tax evasion totalling £404,661.70. "They failed to show the man everything, in fact they did not show him anything. It was the bare faced cheek of projecting themselves as established members of the industry while taking money from the public purse."

Mr Evans said Solomons described himself as the 'self styled king of male strip tease shows' in his autobiography The Power Behind the Pouch. In the book he claims to have provided 'women of all ages eye candy' while 'unleashing handsome hunks with hard muscular torsos' that make 'thousands of woman drool' with their 'sexy glamour.'

The Dreamboys made regular guest appearances on British TV and toured the world including across Europe and Dubai, the court was told. Solomons and Goodman also arranged regular nights at celebrity haunts in London including Pacha, making thousands of pounds in profits.

Solomons lost the rights to use the name 'Dreamboys' after failing to ever register the name as a trademark. A former dancer with the troupe realised this and registered it himself and then employed Solomons to help run the troupe, the court heard.

Both Solomons and Goodman are no longer associated with Dreamboys, which is now under new ownership.

In his autobiography Solomons said about Goodman: 'She tried to double deal me over our business relationship.' Solomons first met her when she turned up at his office with her boyfriend Lorenzo Amoruso and told him she had a new Dreamboy for him.

After this meeting they forged a business relationship and she became a key player in the organisation and money handling for the Dreamboys, said Mr Evans.

Goodman had been claiming since 1995 that she was unable to work due to claustrophobia and agoraphobia when really she was involved with the running of the 'Dream Boys'. She also ran Destiny Rising, a company offering psychic readings earning £18,500, said Mr Evans.

After she split from Solomons she started a rival troupe 'Here Come the Boys' a UK tour promoted as a reunion tour of the original Chippendales.

She unsuccessfully tried to launch Amoruso's pop career through a new company Superstar Entertainment and received £76,000 from a company called US Nutrition for using him in an advertising campaign for a new drink, said Mr Evans.

Goodman also worked 'self-employed' on a phone sex-line and organised 'exclusive ladies events' but didn't declare any of this income to the HRMC.

Both Solomans and Goodman were arrested during searches of their homes in July 2013. Solomons, who had a heart attack in 2011, was sent to prison for 28 months.

Goodman failed to turn up at Blackfriars Crown Court on Monday and she remains on the run after a warrant was issued for her arrest on September 7. She was also sentenced to 28 months in her absence to 28 months and will be later further sentenced for being absent from court.

Solomons, wearing a smart blue pinstripe suit, rocked forward and held his head in his hands as Judge Jane Sullivan jailed him for 28 months.

Solomans, of Sussex Place, Bristol, admitted one count of evasion of income tax, two counts of making a false statement on a DWP form, one count of fraudulently obtaining pension credits, one count of making a false statement to Islington Council on a housing benefit form, one count of claiming housing benefits by deception and one count of claiming an exemption from tax.

Goodman, from Golders Green, admitted one count of evading income tax, two counts of failing to notify the DWP of a change of circumstances and two counts of failing to inform Barnet Council of a change of circumstances resulting in false claiming of housing benefits.

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A Truro woman has been jailed for benefits fraud after claiming that she was single while living with her husband.

Helen Salunga, 47, pleaded guilty to four counts of defrauding the Department for Work and Pensions, Cornwall Council and HM Revenue and Customs.

In total she fraudulently claimed £80,506.48, Truro Crown Court heard.

The first charge related to tax credits claimed from 2009 to 2014 when she told the authorities she was a single person but in fact lived with her husband who earned £17,000 to £23,000 per year.

She also said she was single on her claim for housing benefits between 2010 to 2014, falsified pay slips to help her claims and falsely claimed she was unemployed for Jobseekers' Allowance in March 2013.

Chris Spencer, for the defence, said the money was sent abroad for her family's medical expenses and that Salunga moved to the UK from the Philippines in 2004. The court heard her father, mother and brother had suffered serious illnesses and medical care in the Philippines requiring substantial sums.

Judge Simon Carr said: "You pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to a very significant benefit fraud. I accept completely that you were sending all or some of the money to family in the Philippines. While having sympathy for that situation when a limited public financial purse is used in a way it is not intended it could prevent others receiving benefits they should."

Judge Carr gave Salunga nine-month prison sentences for all four charges, to run concurrently.

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A gran has been jailed in tears after claiming almost £97,000 in benefits she wasn’t entitled to.

For 13 years, Margaret Elliott failed to declare she was no longer a single parent and was living with her partner as husband and wife.

A court heard she received a total overpayment of £96,908.19 and it will take her around 30 years to pay it back at £100 a month.

Now, the sobbing 53-year-old has been locked up for six months, amid wails of despair from her daughters in the public gallery at Newcastle Crown Court.

Recorder John Thackray told her: “Your false claims have deprived the community of much needed public money. From 2002 you made false claims because you didn’t declare you were living with your partner and you made numerous dishonest representations over the years. It will take 30 years to repay.

“I take into account you are not in good health and the references which speak so well of you and I accept you are genuinely remorseful. The offences are so serious only an immediate custodial sentence can be justified.”

The court heard Elliott’s claim for benefits began legitimately in the 1990s, when she started claiming on the basis she was a lone parent and was incapacitated.

Lee Fish, prosecuting, said: “However she has received benefits to which she was not entitled because she was claiming on the basis of being a single parent. She failed to disclose that from August 2002 to February 2015 she was in fact living with her partner, who was in employment for various periods of time.

“The defendant was interviewed in February 2015 and there were some provisional denials but she went on to admit she had been living with this man for this period of time. The total overpayment is £96,908.19, she’s currently repaying this at £100 a month and it’s estimated it will take about 30 years to clear this debt.”

Elliott, from Felling, Gateshead, pleaded guilty to six benefit fraud charges and was jailed for six months.

Alec Burns, defending, said: “There are references which show what type of person she usually is, apart from this. When I first met this lady the first words she said were, ‘I did wrong, I’m really sorry’ and she started crying. She has shown genuine remorse. She suffers from clinical depression and this has made it worse.

“There were periods when her partner did not live with her and he did not work all the time but he did work most of the time. He works as a warehouse packer of frozen foods so didn’t earn a lot of money. She received disability living allowance and would have been entitled to some benefits but clearly not the amount she has received.

“She has three daughters and has not told her grandchildren, who she looks after when their parents go to work.”

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All Housing Benefit fraud allegations are now dealt with by the Department for Works and Pensions, (DWP), although all changes in circumstances should still be reported to the benefits section at Chesterfield Borough Council. Council Tax Support fraud is still being dealt with by the council.

Failing to declare your true circumstances or not reporting a change in circumstances may lead to a fraud investigation by the DWP, who may decide to conduct a formal interview, which is recorded on CD, under caution by one or more officers from DWP.

If the decision is made that an offence has been committed, you may have to pay a penalty as well as repay the Housing Benefit overpayment. The penalty at present is 50% of the overpayment figure, subject to a minimum of £350 and a maximum of £2000, (this is called an Administrative Penalty).

If the decision is made to prosecute, you could end up in front of a magistrate to explain why you did not inform benefits of your correct circumstances. If found guilty the possible outcome may be a custodial sentence, unpaid work or a fine, for which you would also receive a criminal record.

Chesterfield Borough Council Benefits Section conduct reviews of Housing Benefit/Council Tax Support claims to ensure the correct amount of benefit/support is being paid, but should a discrepancy occur, the details will be passed to the DWP for them to consider investigating, or if Council Tax Support is in payment, then an officer from Chesterfield Borough Council may conduct an interview.

When making a claim for council benefits, or completing a form, make sure you read it thoroughly, and answer every question. If you're not sure whether you should mention something on the form, put it down anyway. The staff at the Customer Service Centre will check if it affects your entitlement. You can contact the benefits section for more information, they are happy to go through the form with you, and offer advice.

If you are already claiming, and your circumstances change, let the benefits section know as soon as possible. Again, if you're not sure that the change will affect your benefit, tell us anyway. After all, it's better to be safe than sorry.

If you believe someone is committing benefit fraud, you can report it:

By phone: call the National Fraud Hotline on 0800 854 440 (your call is free and confidential; you do not have to give your name or address).

Online: www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud

In writing: NBFH, P O Box 224, Preston, PR1 1GP

A woman who wrongly claimed nearly £43,000 in benefits must now pay nearly £60,000.

Watford mother Bushra Begum, 72, and her daughter Tabassum, 42, claimed more than £185,000 in benefits from Watford Borough Council - more here and here - note these are from 2015.

The pair had more than £260,000 hidden away in 100 different accounts but continued claiming benefits for many years.

Bushra Begum has failed to repay her £42,666 share of the fraudulent claims to Watford Borough Council and the DWP. This is despite being handed an 18-month suspended sentence in April 2015.

However, after successful confiscation proceedings, she has been ordered to pay £59,664.73 to the two organisations by Monday October 3. If she fails to pay this amount she will be sent to prison for 18 months.

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A benefit cheat who claimed thousands of pounds in disability allowance after saying he could not walk has been caught out after a neighbour filmed him using heavy machinery in his garden.

Christopher Botting had claimed he could walk only 10 metres “on a good day”, had “no way of bending” and could not “lift anything”.

But the passionate gardener was exposed after a neighbour recorded more than eight hours of footage showing him toiling in his garden.

The recordings included footage showing the 52-year-old dad-of-two using a heavy rotator to churn up soil.

Over almost two years, the “brazen” fraudster claimed almost £15,000 in disability benefit allowance, which he will now have to repay.

Botting had told the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP): “I now accept that a wheelchair is my only option if I want to get out. I cannot get up as I have no strength in my right arm and have no way of bending to help myself. I cannot lift anything as my hand-shakes and I drop things. I cannot raise my arms above my head.”

At Maidstone Crown Court, Kent, Botting was jailed for ten months after the judge described his actions as “an affront to society”.

Prosecutor James Ross said there was no issue with Botting receiving the allowance prior to 2010, but as a result of the false information he gave to the DWP he was awarded a high rate of allowance.

Mr Ross said: “The prosecution say when he filled in those documents in 2010 his condition was not as severe as he said. As a result he was treated by the benefits system as someone who had a high degree of need and entitled to a considerable amount of money when, in fact, that was not the case.”

Botting’s neighbour Paul Wilson was aware he was claiming disability benefit while toiling for long hours in the garden.

Mr Ross said: “He would see Mr Botting in his garden quite frequently. He was aware he was claiming disability living allowance. Not only would he watch him and make a mental note and have his own opinion of how incapable Mr Botting was, he also had a camcorder. Eight or nine hours-worth of footage was recorded by him.”

Botting, who has spina bifida and Crohn’s disease, sat in his wheelchair in the well of the court and was assigned two “lip speakers” to relay the evidence to him because of his deafness. He denied dishonest representation for obtaining benefit, but was found guilty.

Archie Mackay, defending, submitted Botting, from Sheerness, Kent, would have extreme difficulty in prison because of his deafness.

He said: “It would bring claustrophobia. He wouldn’t be able to hear steps coming towards his door or keys jangling.”

The benefit fraud will have £76 a fortnight deducted from his benefits to repay the amount he defrauded – of which £10,466 is currently outstanding.

Recorder Matthew Nicklin QC said: “It is so compelling and clear that is the sort of footage that one expects to see on television programmes about benefit fraud. Mr Wilson was exasperated at the inaction he saw on the part of DWP to investigate Mr Botting. In his evidence, he said he was told that if it wasn’t on film the DWP were not interested in investigating. Whether it is true or not that the DWP takes this attitude, it was the catalyst for the remarkable and extensive cataloguing of Mr Botting’s industrious garden improvements.”

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A benefits cheat mum falsely claimed thousands of pounds to buy a second home to get her kids into the catchment area for a better school, a court heard.

Mum-of-four Rejiya Mukith avoided jail after cheating the system by using tax payers' money for the new property.

Mukith, from Ipswich, Suffolk, got a mortgage for the £58,080 property in 2003. She later used £35,000 in income support she dishonestly obtained by lying about her financial situation to pay for the home.

Ipswich Crown Court heard the 45-year-old had cheated the system so her kids could get into the town’s Northgate High School which is rated Good by Ofsted.

Judge Rupert Overbury handed the jobless mum a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years. He said: “You committed a fraud on the benefits system over several years netting some £35,000. You used the money to purchase a second property in order that your children might receive the best education you thought to be available to them.” He added that it was his concern over the care of her six-year-old son which stopped him sending her straight to prison.

Speaking in mitigation Juliet Donovan said Mukith, believed to have been born in Bangladesh, came from a strict Muslim background, had no education and had not been permitted to work since she was married at 17. Despite this she was expected to provide for her children while her husband, who runs their family-owned business, was away for long periods of time. Rubbish

Miss Donovan said her client bought the second house because she believed Northgate High School was the best school for them to go to and she wanted to be in the catchment area.

Prosecutor Simon Gladwell told the court Mukith went on to rent out the second property, now worth £150,000, for £450 a month but didn’t tell the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) about this when she began claiming income support on 2005. She did this while claiming to have no capital assets or income.

Mukith had previously admitted dishonesty failing to disclose to the DWP that she was the owner of a capital asset when she claimed income support. The offence occurred between January 15, 2007 and October 30, 2007. Mukith also pleaded guilty to a second similar charge between February 2, 2008, and March 11, 2014. She also admitted a third charge of a dishonest failure to disclose information to the DWP which led to payments of Employment Support Allowance to her husband. This offence took place between March 14, 2014, and July 17, 2015.

The court heard a pre-sentence report had revealed Mukith had also committed the offences of greed in a bid to maintain her position in her community where others owned several properties.

Speaking from the doorstep of Mukith’s smart £250,000 semi-detached home in Ipswich, Suffolk, a woman claiming to be her sister but later identified by neighbours as Mukith herself, said: “She [Mukith] is depressed, quite depressed. She went to see the councillor. Everybody should not do that you know, say get family support rather than get punishment.”

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A benefits cheat fleeced the public purse of £77,000 after claiming she was unfit to work despite holding down a full time job at a wholesalers.

Karen Tomlinson’s nine-year deception came to light when she made repeated appeals against a Department of Work and Pensions decision to stop her benefits after a medical assessment.

She was jailed for four months after a court heard she used two different national insurance numbers and two different addresses in order to commit the offences.

Leeds Crown Court heard Tomlinson worked a 40-hour week and earned a salary of £20,000 despite claiming she needed to use a handrail to get in and out of her flat.

Michael Jowett, prosecuting, said Tomlinson made fraudulent claims for incapacity benefit, unemployment support as well as housing and council tax benefit before the offending came to light. The prosecutor said a decision was made to stop Tomlinson’s benefits in 2012 after she underwent a medical assessment. She continued to receive benefit payments pending two appeal hearings.

The DWP then launched an investigation in May last year and it was revealed she had an £11.50 per hour job with Costco.

Mr Jowett said: “She used two national insurance numbers - one for her benefits and one for her employment and then used two addresses - her own and her parents’.”

Tomlinson was interviewed and initially denied having a job. She said she had no explanation for why wages had been paid into her bank account!

Tomlinson, from Outwood, Wakefield, pleaded guilty to four offences of benefit fraud and two of failing to notify a change in circumstances. Patrick Palmer, mitigating, said Tomlinson committed the offences after her marriage ended and she was left with debts of around £25,000. Mr Palmer said the offending was not committed to fund a lavish lifestyle. He added: “She has never held a passport and has never been abroad.”

The barrister said Tomlinson had been off work since 2015 with an injury to her hand and was suffering with mental health problems. Mr Palmer said Tomlinson was now repaying the amount she had illegally claimed.

Judge Robin Mairs said: “This happened at a time when the public purse was stretched to almost breaking point. Money like this is needed by those who have real abject need.”

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A Leicester benefits cheat who claimed £38,000 she was not entitled to has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Carla Hayes, 29, pleaded guilty to two counts of benefit fraud relating to income support, housing and council tax payments, between February 2010 and February 2015.

Leicester Crown Court was told her initial claim for benefits as a single mum was legitimate. But when she set up home living with Lee Thomas, who was employed, she failed to notify the authorities of a change in her circumstances, said James Bide-Thomas, prosecuting.

Hayes was given a 26 week jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Head said he accepted it was not a dishonest claim from the outset. He added: "You gave way to temptation and behaved in a thoroughly dishonest way to obtain £38,000 worth of benefits, when you were in a relationship. People who do that cheat the public; that's everyone who pays into the public purse. Those who honestly claim and then cease to be eligible, they have to notify a change in their circumstances. A prison sentence must send out a message to people that those who cheat the public purse will get custody, but I'm prepared to suspend it in this case."

Justine Robinson, mitigating, said: "She has dependent relatives, she's of previous good character and given her age and her attitude towards this offending, it's a case where Your Honour can take a step back from immediate custody. She's willing to make herself available to do unpaid work."

The court heard that Hayes had already begun repaying the money in instalments.

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A former Milton Keynes council tenant has been ordered to pay back more than £1,000 after being caught fraudulently sub-letting his flat.

Thomas Mann, 46, formerly of Serpentine Court, Bletchley, appeared before city magistrates where he pleaded guilty under the Fraud Act 2006.

He was given a compensation order of £910 and ordered to repay costs of £500, a total of £1,410.

This matter was investigated after information was received by Milton Keynes Council that Mann was illegally sub-letting his council property.

A council investigator established that Mr Mann was no longer living at the property, but had taken deposits and rent payments via his bank account from a sub-tenant.

He failed to appear for questioning regarding the matter and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was picked up by police in Leicestershire.

A council Internal Audit spokesperson said: "We will robustly pursue those people who commit housing tenancy fraud in any guise. Perpetrators will, where appropriate as in this case, be prosecuted and reparation will be sought to recover monies owed to the taxpayers of Milton Keynes."

A housing spokesperson added: "Illegal subletting deprives legitimate and deserving people access to much needed affordable housing that is in short supply. We are very pleased with this result and we will continue to take robust action against these types of fraudsters."

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A Heysham resident and her accomplice in the Costa del Sol who falsely claimed he was living with her in the UK in order to fraudulently claim a UK benefit have both been found guilty of benefit fraud. (h/t Dave)

British pensioner Antony McNamara falsely made a claim in 2011 for Pension Credit, a benefit non-UK residents are not eligible to receive.

Despite living and working in Benalmádena on the Costa del Sol at the time, on his claim he stated that he lived in a house at The Cliffs, Heysham with his “sister” Margaret Walsh and asked that his benefit be paid into her bank account as he did not have one. Over the next four years his alleged sister would transfer his benefit money from her bank account to his, allowing McNamara to continue enjoying his Spanish lifestyle at the expense of the British taxpayer.

In 2015 investigations carried out jointly by DWP fraud teams in the UK and Spain revealed that not only had McNamara been living and working in Spain for the past four years and owned 50% of a property there but also that his alleged “sister” was actually a woman with whom he had been in a relationship with many years previously and had a child with.

In June of this year the 70 year old pleaded guilty at Lancaster Magistrates Court to benefit fraud totalling £15,147.90 and was handed 12 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months and ordered to repay the money in full.

His fictional sister Margaret Walsh, 68, now of Maghull, Merseyside, admitted one offence of lying to the investigator when he called to speak to McNamara by saying that he had “just stepped out for a minute” but denied assisting him at the outset by letting the DWP think he was living with her. However, after a trial at Liverpool Magistrates Court, she was found guilty on all charges of assisting McNamara in obtaining benefit by deception and was sentenced to 10 weeks electronic tagging and a curfew.

DWP Fraud Investigator David Topping said: “We were tipped off anonymously about this and a lot of our cases come to us in that way".

He continued, illogically,"This case shows that people abroad who set out to defraud the benefit system in the UK by claiming benefits they are clearly not entitled to, will be tracked down and dealt with in the courts”.

If you suspect someone of committing or assisting someone to commit benefit fraud, call the free and confidential fraud hotline on 0800 854 440.

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Two benefit cheats from Leeds have been jailed in separate cases after failing to declare they were receiving private pensions. (h/t Dave)

Leeds Crown Court heard when Donald Denton claimed housing and council tax benefit in 2009 the former miner failed to mention he was in receipt of a pension from Prudential.

Later that same year he began working for a health care firm and also did not notify that change in his circumstances, Michael Jowett, prosecuting, told the court. As a result of his omissions he was overpaid £29,072 in benefits to which he was not entitled.

Mehran Nassiri, representing Denton, said he realised he was wrong not to mention his employment and pension but put it to the back of his mind. He had already repaid £10,450 after receiving an inheritance.

Denton, 63, was jailed for 30 weeks after admitting three charges of benefit fraud.

Mr Jowett told the court in a separate case Rosemary Robinson was overpaid £27,209 in benefits after she failed to disclose she was receiving a pension from Friend’s Life.

She told investigators she was angry other people “were getting everything” while she was having to live within her means. Ian Cook representing her said she “became trapped in her own lies”.

Robinson, 61, was jailed for 34 weeks after she admitted three charges of failing to disclose information.

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A BLAENAU Gwent nurse has been suspended by regulatory body The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) after illegally claiming thousands of pounds in benefits.

Alison Dawn Scott, of Blaenau Gwent, worked as a nurse at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, near Llantrisant and previously pleaded guilty to benefit fraud at Caerphilly Magistrates Court in 2014.

And it reaches the NMC in 2016.

Between April 23, 2012 and September 15, 2013, Scott failed to inform the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) of her change in employment, claiming an extra £4,296.75 in carer’s allowance.

Although she is currently paying back the sum at a rate £30 a month - soon to be raised to £50 - Scott has continued to work as a nurse.

At a tribunal on Friday, the NMC agreed to temporarily suspend the nurse, due to the “dishonest” nature of the offence.

Case presenter, Douglas Lloyd stated the offence “couldn’t be committed by an act of oversight or act of negligence”.

“A dishonesty offence such as a fraudulent claim for money is of deep concern," he said. "Even if you are satisfied that there is no risk of repetition you must consider the public interest."

Scott previously worked as a carer between 1999- 2009 and qualified as a nurse in 2012 after spending three years at the University of Glamorgan.

The tribunal heard Scott accepted she was in receipt of benefit, knew she wasn’t entitled when she was in employment, knowingly continued to receive benefit and didn’t inform the DWP.

Daniel Neill, defending, noted that Scott had no previous convictions or NMC referrals and was “full and frank” about the offence, self-referring to the regulatory body and informing her employer.

He also noted Scott’s positive references, stating the public would be “deprived of someone who is a valued member of the community” if she was to be struck off.

“This is a case of failure to notify," he said. "It is a case of dishonesty yes but a case of dishonesty by omission rather than commission."

Acting NMC chairwoman, Monica French, stated that Scott had learned from her wrongdoing but the nature of the offence and her dishonest behaviour was “unacceptable”.

The NMC ruled that Scott was currently “impaired” in her practice and imposed a two month suspension order. This order will take action 28 days from the day of the meeting and Scott must serve this before returning to employment.

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A couple were jailed after ‘taking away’ more than £100,000 in benefits ‘from people who really need help’.

Alexander Pearson, 61, and his partner Veronica Stuart, 64, from Kirkby, scammed tax payers and cheated the system for almost 12 years before being found out by Knowsley Council and the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

The pair pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court to the offences that ended in July 2014.

In total, the couple claimed almost £45,000 in housing benefit, more than £52,000 in income support, more than £10,000 in council tax benefits and a further £1,300 in council tax reductions. All the money claimed was over and above their entitlement and they were both sentenced to a year in prison.

Confiscation proceedings will also now begin to recover some of the overpayments.

A Knowsley Council spokesman said: “This is an excellent outcome. By claiming benefits they are not entitled to, fraudsters take money away from people who really need help. Our message is clear – we will prosecute and take action against those who are fraudulently claiming benefits.”

Knowsley Council said people can report those suspected of benefit fraud by calling 0800 0730 532. There is no need to give a name and calls are treated in confidence.

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Sean Martin Doherty has been refused permission to appeal against a High Court order for his property in Princess Road to be handed over to the National Crime Agency (NCA).

The court had heard the 59-year-old was serving a prison sentence for benefit fraud when he bought the flat for £55,000 in 1998 with a fraudulently obtained mortgage.

He had paid the five per cent deposit using his ill-gotten gains and used a false identity, supported by a fictitious reference and fake declarations of income.

There is an outstanding sum of £30,000 left to pay on the mortgage of the property, which has rocketed in value by 700 per cent since he bought it.

Doherty had questioned the legality of NCA’s application using the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Stephanie Jeavons, deputy director for the NCA’s economic crime command, said:

Civil Recovery is a really effective way of denying criminals the benefit of their crimes, and that includes investments. The Proceeds of Crime Act allows the NCA to recover not just the original purchase price of the property but also the increase in the value of the property over the intervening years.

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