Benefit fraud

A dopey disability benefits cheat who posted pictures on Facebook exhibiting dogs at Crufts has been ordered to pay back almost £11,000 of her ill-gotten gains. (h/t Dave)

Trainer Linda Avery, aged 57, claimed she could hardly walk but was filmed at a later show in Devon grooming and running her charges around rings.

The former mealtime assistant was handed a community order with unpaid work in March.

But she was summonsed back to court as the Department for Work and Pensions sought their money back under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Plymouth Crown Court heard that she had been overpaid £12,538 in Disability Living Allowance over two years.

Judge Paul Darlow ordered her to pay £10,970 over the next three months. Avery could be jailed for seven months if she fails to do so.

The court heard that she had assets assessed as about £78,000, including her share in a home.

Sally Daulton, for the department, said pictures posted on Facebook showing Avery exhibiting at Crufts showed just how long she had been cheating the system.

She said that the defendant had already paid back the balance of the money owed to the department.

Avery claimed she needed a walking aid or sticks to get around and even needed someone to cut up her food, the court heard in March.

But officers from the Department for Work and Pensions secretly filmed her parading, grooming and lifting dogs at a show in Paignton.

Avery, from Efford, admitted dishonestly failing to notify an improvement in her condition affecting her DLA claim between October 2014 and July 2016.

She was handed a 12-month community order with 100 hours unpaid work and 20 days of probation supervision.

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Wealden District Council’s counter fraud team saved the authority more than £400,000 in the last financial year.

The team investigated 69 cases in 2018/19, which when combined resulted in the council either recovering or saving £412,332.

Introducing the report, David Palmer, the council’s head of business services, said the team had been formed in 2014 as a result of a rise in cases in recent years, which he attributed to the effects of austerity.

He said: “Austerity has really caused more risks to be taken by the public. We didn’t used to have a large amount of fraud against the council, certainly not detected fraud against the council.

“The only thing we really had to rely on in the past, was a thing called the National Fraud Initiative. That still exists but is a bit behind than what we do here and still doesn’t yield great results by comparison.

“The National Fraud Initiative would have found about £30,000 in the last year, but you will see from your report, that we detected and effectively stopped fraud of £412,000. The team was formed in 2014 and since then has stopped fraud of approaching £2m.”

Since 2014, Mr Palmer said, the counter fraud team has shifted its approach, concentrating on prevention.

This prevention work currently focuses on Right to Buy applications, which are checked to ensure claims are genuine and the applicant is in a position to proceed with the purchase.

According to the report, the checks are made to ensure the council is not being used for money laundering purposes or that the applicant is purchasing on behalf of a third party.

Two such applications were stopped during the year saving a total discount of £145,900, the report says.

The report also notes an increase in the number of social housing fraud referrals being investigated, rising by 15 per cent on the previous year to a total of 20 cases. When combined, these investigations saw the council save £233,260, the report said.

Of the 69 cases investigated by the team, 16 related to investigations connected to Wealden’s Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS). During the year, investigations connected to council tax (including both CTRS and single person discount schemes) saw £77,261 of fraud proven.

Source

A benefit cheat pocketed thousands in handouts he was not entitled to by secretly working as a scrap man.

Arthur Ferguson claimed he was only earning a small amount, tidying gardens and cleaning bins while claiming benefits.

But he took the money under false pretences for four-and-a-half years, during which time more than £70,000 was paid into his bank by two recycling firms.

Now the 58-year-old, of Cragside, The Lonnen, South Shields, who admitted dishonestly receiving more than £20,000 between 2013 and 2017, has been ordered to do unpaid work as part of a community order.

Jessica Slaughter, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: "It's a benefit fraud case where he didn't disclose he was working to the full extent he was and he had money in his bank account higher than he was entitled to to get benefits.

"He told South Tyneside Council he was working as a garden tidier and bin cleaner and he claimed council tax benefit and housing benefit on the basis of limited earnings. He also claimed employment support allowance for a short period of time.

"He was supposed to notify any change in circumstances about how much he was working and how much he was receiving.

"He was receiving substantial sums into his bank account, consistent with him working for recycling companies and not declaring his income.

"Further, in 2013, he applied for and received a waste carriers licence for receiving scrap items."

The court heard that between December 2012 and July 2017, two recycling firms paid more than £70,000 to Ferguson.

When interviewed about the offence, he said none of the money received was his and that he would pay money back to them in cash.

The total overpayment in benefits was £20,598 and the claim was fraudulent from the outset, the court heard.

Ferguson has been paying back his ill-gotten gains at £50 a month and has so far handed over £400.

He pleaded guilty to benefit fraud and Recorder Jonathan Aitken sentenced him to a 12 month community order with 200 hours unpaid work.

Jennifer Coxon, defending, said: "He has not lived a lavish lifestyle. He didn't appreciate the seriousness of it but he now fully appreciates it.

"He is desperate financially and could now be entitled to benefits but doesn't wish to claim because he has made such a mistake and has had money he is not entitled to. So he is struggling financially.

"He continues with his waste collection company but it's variable in terms of income.

"He has destroyed his reputation because people are aware of this over-claim. He wants to pay it back."

Of course

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A fraudster who pretended to be the nephew of a dead man in a bid to take over his council home has been given a two year suspended prison sentence. (h/t Cornerstone)

Shafiqur Rahman, from Stepney Green, applied to take over the tenancy in June 2016 claiming he had been living with the Tower Hamlets Homes tenant at the one bedroom flat in Headlam Street, Whitechapel.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets, John Biggs, said:

Housing fraud is a selfish act and results in much needed homes being denied to those in genuine need. We will always seek to take strong action against those acting illegally."

Rahman submitted an extensive list of documents to prove he lived at the flat including utilities bills, a council tax bill, bank statements, a car insurance certificate, a HM Customs & Revenue letter, birth certificates, an accountant's letter, housing benefit applications and council tax rebate.

But the soundness of some documents raised suspicions and triggered an investigation by Tower Hamlets Council's specialist housing fraud team.

Officers gathered evidence from utility, insurance and accountancy firms along with the council's own records to confirm a number of documents were fake.

One of the deceased tenant's care workers stated he hadn't seen any family members at the home apart from a relative who visited twice a year.

The tenant also told him most of his family lived in Scotland.

A friend, who supported the man after his wife died, confirmed he lived alone and had been cared for by social services. He knew nothing of Rahman and confirmed his friend had never mentioned him.

The 43-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud at Snaresbrook Crown Court on July 4.

He was sentenced at the same court on Thursday, August 1. He received 150 hours of unpaid work, a four month curfew and will have to pay the council's £6,000 legal costs.

Cllr Sirajul Islam, deputy mayor and cabinet member for housing, said: "Many congratulations to all those who worked on what I know was a lengthy and complex investigation.

"With more than 20,000 people on our housing list, any property which is recovered is crucial."

This is why social housing fraud is particularly wicked.

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A grandad has been spared prison after committing benefit fraud by failing to disclose he had money in the bank while pocketing handouts.

Kevin Raisbeck hoped to keep money from the sale of a house as a nest egg for his children and grandchildren and failed to tell the DWP or the council.

As a result he received more than £20,000 in benefits he was not entitled to, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Now the 57-year-old, who was using a walking stick when he appeared in court, has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Prosecutor Andrew Walker told the court: "The indictment covers a period from November 2015, when he was getting various benefits he was not entitled to.

"He failed to disclose substantial capital assets, cash in various accounts, that would have reduced his entitlement to zero. There was an overpayment of housing benefit, income support and employment support allowance totalling £20,438."

Inquiries revealed Raisbeck had sold a property in November 2015 and was still in possession of some of the proceeds of the sale in various accounts.

Mr Walker said: "All of those should have been disclosed to the DWP or local authority but none were."

Raisbeck, from Dudley, North Tyneside, pleaded guilty to four benefit fraud charges on the basis that when he initially claimed, it was legitimate and he didn't have any assets.

He said the proceeds from the sale were used to pay off debts and he had put some money aside for his children and grandchildren for their futures.

Raisbeck, who has five previous convictions but nothing since 2007, was sentenced to six months suspended for 18 months.

Recorder Dapinder Singh QC said Raisbeck had "buried his head in the sand" and added: "This was not a criminally, carefully planned, sophisticated operation from the outset.

"I have to mark the seriousness of this offending so other people don't think this kind of conduct is acceptable."

Penny Hall, defending, said: "He is not in good health, he has had back problems for many years and has had operations and that has led to mental health issues."

Miss Hall said he is the full time carer for his two adult children, who both have medical problems and may have had to go into care if he was locked up.

She added: "He is remorseful and says around that time, life was difficult."

The court heard Raisbeck has been paying back his ill-gotten gains at £30 a month.

So that's all right then?

Source

A Kilmarnock-based psychic who calls himself Scotland’s Straight Talking Medium pled guilty to fraud.

George Wyllie, who travels the world with his private readings and live demonstrations as a medium, admitted fraudulently claiming £8500 worth of disability benefit to which he was not entitled.

Wyllie admitted the offence at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week.

The court heard how the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) received an anonymous tip-off that the 37-year-old was working full-time as a spiritual medium, performing on stage for hours and mobile when attending appointments.

An investigation carried out by the DWP revealed Wyllie had been travelling for his work and had conducted vlogs on the streets of New York - all while claiming personal independence payments (PIP).

The fiscal depute told the court: “There was a video uploaded on the accused’s website entitled in May 2017. It shows the accused able to stand and move for prolonged periods.

“It shows him able to bend forward, reach below his knees and withhold that position and straighten up again without any problems.”

She added: “Surveillance shows the accused undertaking activities at his home address in contradiction to his claim for PIP. He was viewed carrying a TV, carrying out gardening activities, using a water hose, moving wheelie bins and able to walk more than 40 yards.

“Footage at Glasgow Airport shows the accused en route to New York travelling alone and at one point holding a bag in excess of 200 yards.

“His video blog shows the accused broadcasting live and conducting a blog while walking around the streets of New York.”

Wyllie’s Facebook page George Wyllie Medium & Psychic shows a number of videos and live vlogs updating fans on his upcoming events and activities.

His website, which describes him as “The Real Deal bringing proof of life after life”, documented his trip to New York in July 2018, including a hand-held video of him walking through downtown Manhattan on his way to the theatre.

He pled guilty to claiming £8500 of PIP to which he was not entitled between May 2017 and November 2018 at a former address in Kilwinning.

His agent told Sheriff Alastair Watson that Wyllie suffered a range of mental health conditions including a personality disorder. She said: “This was a man who thought he was not doing anything wrong.”

However, Sheriff Watson replied: “If you can walk about the streets of New York, taking international flights, you do not even remotely meet the requirements for PIP. He did not need much advice to find that out.”

The lawyer replied: “His personality disorder clearly had an impact on him.

“He has developed a split personality as a way of coping with life. He has shown remorse and recognises the damage his actions have caused to society by impact on the public purse. With the hopes he has for his business he hopes he can repay that sum.”

Sheriff Watson told Wyllie: “You are a fraud. You have obtained PIP when you clearly were not entitled to it and it must have been absolutely obvious to you that you were not entitled.

“I feel sorry for all the genuine claimants who are made to go through rigorous and sometimes embarrassing examinations. They all suffer because of people like you.

“It is dishonest people like you that cause the need for these rigorous examinations. You are so close to custody.”

Wyllie was sentenced to 12 months of supervision and placed under a curfew order, forcing him to wear an electronic tag and remain at home between 7pm and 7am each night for three months.

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A man cheated Slough Borough Council out of nearly £50,000 after he claimed he needed a house despite actually being a landlord.

Gavin Lescott, 41, was in the process of buying a property with his brother when he applied to be placed on the council's housing register in 2006.

He went on to buy a home in Manor Park, Slough, which he let out to tenants. In the meantime, he accepted a council house to live in in Britwell.

He also failed to declare he owned a property when he applied for benefits in 2017.

Reading Crown Court ordered him to pay £48,000 by October 25, or face 18 months in prison.

This was deemed to be the total criminal benefit from illegally obtaining the tenancy and residing there for more than 10 years.

He has also been ordered to pay full council prosecution costs of £6,816 at the Proceeds of Crime Act hearing on Friday, July 26.

It comes after he admitted three offences under the Fraud Act 2006 for making false representations and failing to disclose information he was legally obliged to disclose, intending to make a gain for himself.

He was given a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, when he was sentenced for the offences in May at Reading Crown Court.

He was also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 10 days of rehabilitation which was aimed at helping him to understand the consequences of his actions and choices.

Lescott agreed to move out of the house in Woodford Way and voluntarily returned the keys to the council at the end of June 2019, which means the council did not have to formally evict him and incur extra civil court costs.

The house is now in the process of being rented out to another family on the council housing register.

Slough Borough Councillor Mohammed Nazir, cabinet member for housing and community safety, said:

We will not tolerate those individuals who seek to defraud the local taxpayer.

Social and council housing is there to provide much needed homes for our residents, not to generate illicit profits for dishonest tenants.

The council will continue to take tough action against those unscrupulous individuals who seek to deny vulnerable families a roof over their heads. We will always push for the harshest punishments where we find people defrauding not just the council but the children, families and hard working residents on our housing register.

Source

A former dockyard worker has admitted benefit fraud spanning three years.

Maxine Woodcock, from Portsea, received an over-payment of £2,285 in Universal Credit.

Portsmouth Magistrates' Court heard she did not tell authorities she had a civil service occupational pension from her time working in Portsmouth dockyard.

Claire Jackson, for Woodcock, said her client had asked for financial advice as she is in debt and added: 'It wasn't like she was living the life of Riley.'

Woodcock is still claiming Universal Credit but the amount she received has been revised now that she has declared her pension.

The defendant is already repaying the money.

Magistrates imposed a 12-month conditional discharge with £40 prosecution costs and a £20 victim surcharge to pay.

Woodcock admitted dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit between December 30 in 2016 and January this year.

Ms Jackson told magistrates people wrongly claiming anything under £3,000 are usually dealt with outside court.

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A fraudster has been spared jail - despite falsely claiming £10,000 worth of disability benefits while working at Staffordshire Police HQ! (h/t Dave)

Victoria Antill claimed allowances "designed for the most vulnerable" after telling authorities she suffered from a catalogue of illnesses, including strokes, PTSD, Bell's palsy, anxiety and depression, Stafford Crown Court heard.

The 36-year-old said she could not walk without assistance, could not cook due to severe physical problems, was unable to wash or bathe without help, and could not go to the toilet by herself.

But this did not stop her working 35 hours a week for the chamber of commerce as a full-time civilian business crime helpline advisor while based at Staffordshire Police HQ in Weston Road, Stafford.

CCTV showed Antill entering and leaving the office for Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry without difficulty and carrying three bags.

She had "no difficulty" with mobility, was able to climb two flights of stairs, and even entered running events.

The court was told she had sent letters to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) posing as her GP in support of her claim for a Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Antill pleaded guilty to three counts of dishonestly failing to notify authorities after starting work in August 2017 while claiming Disability Living Allowance, Employment Support Allowance and Housing Benefits.

She also admitted a further charge of dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a PIP.

She was handed a 12-month sentence suspended for two years, told to complete 30 days of a rehabilitation programme, and ordered to continue to pay back £50 a month for three years.

At her sentencing hearing, Recorder Martin Wasik told Antill: "This is a serious matter in a number of respects - as pointed out by the prosecution, there are blatant aspects here of inconsistency in your working life and the statements that you were making to the benefit authorities.

"I am very concerned about a number of aspects - particularly the suggestion that letters reporting to have come from the GP may have been forged. There is significant dishonesty here."

Sparing Antill time in prison immediately, the judge continued: "I am going to suspend your sentence in this case so that repayments can continue. Prison would have serious adverse effects on you, very serious adverse effects on your family, and no further money can be repaid."

Opening the case against Antill, prosecutor Omar Majid said: "There is no dispute that the defendant had the ailments... but the effect on her was demonstrably and grossly overstated. She had initially said that she could only manage (to walk) half a metre and could not walk without someone physically supporting her."

Mr Majid said somebody from the DWP had visited Antill in December 2017 after she made an application for a PIP two months earlier.

He said: "She explained to the individual who visited that she had a carer who attended six hours a day, seven days a week. At the conclusion of that appointment, Ms Antill went to work. The Crown say that that was brazen dishonesty.

"It became clear that the defendant had grossly exaggerated her care needs."

He continued: "She had not told the adviser that she had started full-time work at the North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Had she told the truth, she would not have been entitled to the PIP at all.

"It was found that, somewhat ironically, she was working as a business crime helpline adviser.

"There had been observations that she had been walking up two flights of stairs without needing any assistance. She never showed or demonstrated any difficulty with her mobility."

Mr Majid said Antill had also called the DWP to say there had been no change of circumstances two days after she started work.

Antill's defence barrister, Saleema Mahmood, said she had already returned around £2,000 to the DWP and was paying £50 back a week.

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A serial benefits cheat who fraudulently claimed thousands of pounds could be sent to jail - but a judge is worried for the future of her children.

Parveen Akhtar was due to be sentenced on August 27 after admitting two charges of making a false statement in order to obtain benefits from the Department of Work and Pensions.

However, speaking at Stafford Crown Court, Judge Jonathan Salmon raised issues about the care of her five children under the age of 16.

Another daughter, 21, has offered to care for them, but the judge was concerned as she has a full-time job and her own child.

Addressing Akhtar, he said:

Make no bones about it, as I have told you before and repeated, the seriousness of these offences crosses the custody threshold and it is a breach of a suspended sentence.

You committed these further offences during a period of that suspended sentence.

In order to make a decision (on the sentence), I need to know what will happen to the children if an immediate custodial sentence is imposed, including the caring ability of your 21-year-old daughter.

The judge asked social services to gather information on how the children would be cared for if Akhtar was jailed.

She answers to unconditional bail until her next court appearance on October 11, when she is likely to be sentenced.

Akhtar's first offence was committed on March 10, 2016, when the 43-year-old claimed £3,730.80 in Carers' Allowance, saying she was caring for her nephew full time.

But she failed to mention she had a paid job as a carer at Carden Bank care home, in Belvedere Road, Burton.

The second was on November 11, 2017, when Akhtar applied for Employment and Support Allowance without declaring she had an interest in four properties.

No money was paid out for the second offence as she was still under investigation for the first.

When making the fraudulent claims, Akhtar was subject to a suspended sentence for claiming incapacity benefits and failing to tell the Department of Work and Pensions when she returned to work. She was sentenced for that offence on February 24, 2016.

Judge Salmon asked for a Proceeds of Crime application to be completed before sentencing to recoup the money Akhtar had fraudulently claimed.

The court heard she had an interest in three properties with her husband at the time of the offences, as well as another she is now living in.

Akhtar is now the sole owner of one of the homes she previously owned with her husband.

Her 21-year-old daughter lives there and the house in mortgage arrears, but there is equity in the property.

Another has been sold and the third now belongs solely to her husband. Akhtar is not currently claiming any benefits.

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A benefit cheat who used 15 different aliases falsely claimed more than £42,000 in benefits and admitted he had done it out of "greed", a court heard.

Darren Culpin, 53, from Gorleston, was claiming out of work benefits for six years, while he was in fact working for most of that period, Norwich Crown Court heard.

John Morgans, prosecuting, said that he failed to tell the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) that he had obtained work which resulted in a overpayment of £42,515 in housing and unemployment benefits.

He said some of the housing benefit was paid when he lived in the Somerset area, and the rest was paid by Great Yarmouth Borough Council when he moved to the area in 2015.

He said when interviewed about the matter, Culpin admitted he had buried his head in the sand and said he had done it out of "stupidity and greed".

Culpin admitted failing to notify the DWP of a change in circumstances between 2012 and April 2018 and was jailed for eight months.

Sentencing him, Judge Anthony Bate said he was a man who had used 15 different aliases with 17 convictions for 69 offences, which included a previous conviction in 2008 for benefit fraud.

This is not burying your head in the sand.

He said the fact he had a previous conviction for a similar matter made it more serious.

Danielle O'Donovan, for Culpin, said that the claim had started out as legitimate.

She said in the past he had suffered from a number of addictions including to drugs and alcohol, which he had managed to overcome on his own, but had then became addicted to gambling.

"He became a compulsive gambler," she said.

He said that he had now been getting help and was also now out of work, having lost his job after he was arrested.

She said he was hoping to get work again in the future so he could pay back some of the cash.

She said up until he lost his job he had been paying back £50 a month. "He knows it is going to take a long period of time."

She said he had at one point sent a letter to the authorities to say he was working, in 2016, but it was never followed up. "They did not follow it up but neither did he."

She said he wanted to work and said: "He will then be able to repay society."

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A benefit fraudster was branded "wicked and devious" after she lied about being housebound and disabled to claim £62,000 from the taxpayer. (h/t Dave)

Andrea Blackburn, 40, made increasingly extreme claims about debilitating ailments as she took five types of benefits over a five-year period - while holding down a series of jobs.

A judge said she was "staggered" Blackburn was allowed to make the claims without proper investigation.

Blackburn claimed disability living allowance legitimately from 2008, but her swindle started when she had her claim pushed into higher bands in 2012 to 2013.

Teesside Crown Court heard how she claimed she:

Was agoraphobic, suffered with nerves, used crutches, could not stand for long periods, struggled to hold things and her hands shook uncontrollably
Needed help changing clothes and moving around the house, relied on others, did not go out and needed someone to speak for her
Could not answer the door, needed help eating, drinking and getting to the toilet, spent most days in bed and could not communicate
Fell several times a day, could barely walk, could not feel her hands, had to drink through a straw and could not cook meals, hold pans or cutlery or turn on a CD player
Someone had to reposition her two to three times at night and she could only be left alone for 30 to 60 minutes

In fact, she was working at least 36 hours a week as a customer assistant for Tesco and in Marks & Spencer coffee shop at the time.

Prosecutor Nigel Soppitt said she stopped working for two years then went on to three jobs for Greggs, Tesco and Sainsbury's from 2015.

Duties in her various jobs included preparing hot food, cleaning and clearing tables, operating a dishwasher and replacing stock on a wines and spirits aisle.

She claimed other benefits, saying she could not shower, was too weak to stand and had incontinence problems.

She threw up a "smokescreen" that she was confused and could not understand or answer questions when interviewed, said Mr Soppitt. "It seems they've simply accepted it at face value."

Investigators saw her driving her own car, after claiming she could not drive, as her deceit came to light in 2017.

In total, she wrongly claimed £62,640 in disability living allowance, housing benefit, incapacity benefit, employment and support allowance and personal independence payments between 2011 and 2016.

Blackburn, from Thornaby , admitted six charges of benefit fraud.

Damian Sabino, defending, said Blackburn gave a "worst-case scenario" and understood she did wrong but "buried her head in the sand".

He said the offending was unsophisticated: "This was never going to work. It was always going to be a matter of time."

This is an excuse?

He said the mum-of-eight did have genuine ailments including carpal tunnel syndrome, for which she had surgery in 2012 and 2015.

"They don't account for the versions persistently presented in claim forms," he added.

"She accepts responsibility for her offending. There was no lavish lifestyle, no holidays, no flash cars, no evidence of high living. She was living in a council rented property, paid bedroom tax and had a 10-year-old car. It's clear she doesn't manage money well. Over the years she has been left in debt by former lovers. She was perhaps an easy target."

He said she had the investigation hung over her for two-and-a-half years, and a consultant psychiatrist found she had anxiety and depression.

He said she was vulnerable, "did not have a good start in life", was seeing a psychotherapist and an early intervention team and found it difficult to explore emotional trauma.

He added she had repaid just over £1,200 of the money and had a new job starting on Monday.

Mr Sabino argued jailing her would impact on her children, cost her her home and halt a three-year plan designed to "get people out of the pit".

"I think her relationship with reality is a journey," he told the court. "These proceedings have brought her closer to reality than she has been before."

The judge described the crimes as "grossly fraudulent" and "particularly wicked and devious" during the hearing.

She said: "This is a lady who has presented to the authorities that she was effectively housebound, immobile and severely disabled, and yet she's holding down three jobs."

Sentencing, she told Blackburn: "You duped the Department for Work and Pensions and Stockton Borough Council into paying you a total of £62,640. Falsely claiming you were suffering from a host of medical ailments of increasing severity. You are a devious wicked woman."

He accepted she had difficulties in childhood and adulthood, and some real medical complaints and problems.

"But they are not to such a degree of severity that they entitle you to receive these monies," the judge continued.

"This is in my view a very serious offence. It is staggering that you were able to pull this off.

"It is unbelievable that the authorities did not properly investigate your medical claims. I'm told that the system that operated at the time no longer exists.

"You are fully to blame. You are a thoroughly dishonest woman. There are people in this country that suffer from genuine disabilities, genuine illnesses, and who need the support.

"You have come within a whisker of going to prison today."

Given her efforts to repay, the judge gave her a 10-month jail term suspended for 18 months with 150 hours' unpaid work, 20 days' rehabilitation activity and £600 costs.

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A woman secretly filmed by undercover investigators swindled £17,000 in disability benefits, a court heard.

Julie Priest, aged 53, lied about her mobility – but was caught out by undercover surveillance.

She denied benefit fraud but was convicted by a jury after a trial at Plymouth Crown Court.

A judge handed her a suspended prison sentence after hearing she needed mental health treatment – and provided care to her sick husband.

Judge Paul Darlow said: “Over some three years you claimed benefit to which you were not entitled in the sum of about £17,000. You undoubtedly do suffer from Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disease but that did not stop you doing several things which you reported that you could not do to the Department for Work and Pensions.”

He handed Priest a 30-week prison sentence suspended for two years, with three months of mental health treatment.

She must also do probation’s Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and pay £100 victim surcharge.

Priest, from Weston Mill, denied dishonestly failing to notify a change of circumstances affecting her disability benefits between July 2015 and July 2018. She was found guilty after a trial last month.

Emily Pitts, for the Crown Prosecution Service, told the sentencing hearing that the claim was not fraudulent from the outset.

She added: “She managed her condition to such an extent that her mobility had improved, as was shown on the undercover footage.”

The barrister said that the DWP has launched legal action under the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover the money overpaid to Priest.

Katie Churcher, for Priest, said the claim started off as genuine but her client’s health improved. She added that the defendant suffered from COPD but still acted as carer for her poorly husband. The court heard that she had been recommended for mental health treatment.

Miss Churcher said that Priest questioned whether the level of overpayment was as high as £17,000. The barrister added that she may have been entitled to some benefits at a lower rate – rather than nothing at all. Miss Churcher said the sum overpaid could be worked out at the Proceeds of Crime hearing.

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A “brazen” benefits cheat with a history of dishonesty claimed more than £7,000 by posing as her sister who was actually in prison.

Claire Cross impersonated her sister Debbie Harris and made false claims for employment and support allowance, personal independence payment, and housingbenefit over a six-month period.

Speaking at Cardiff Crown Court prosecutor Thomas Stanway said: “She claimed benefits to which she was not entitled in her sister’s name.” The court heard she was wrongly paid £7,050.40 between October 2016 and April 2017.

Prosecutors said Ms Harris was claiming benefits when she was remanded in custody at HM Eastwood Park Prison in September 2016.

She was given a prison sentence the following month and Cross contacted the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to make a false claim in her sister’s name.

The court heard the defendant impersonated her sister and told the agency she had only been in custody for a week. The claim was reinstated based on that false information. Mr Stanway said the claims for all three benefits were fraudulent from the outset.

She said she did it to pay off her sister’s drug debt as people were knocking on her door and would not leave her alone. She said she could not afford to pay them.

The defendant said she bought clothes, including tracksuits and trainers, for her sister while she was in prison.

Prosecutors said she made full admissions and accepted she should not have done it. The court heard she had 58 previous offences on her record, mostly for dishonesty, including previous fraud offences.

Cross, 45, admitted three counts of fraud by false representation.

David Singh, defending, accepted she booked flights to Malaga but said they were for a relative’s funeral and not a holiday.

He suggested she had shown regret and remorse through her admissions and guilty pleas and handed the judge letters from the defendant and her sister.

Judge Nicola Jones said: “This was not just a one-off. There was repeated contact with the relevant agencies. You were brazen in your attitude.”

Cross was given an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for 22 months, and ordered to complete 15 sessions of a rehabilitation activity.

The judge said she would have made an order for compensation for the full amount if sufficient funds had been available.

She noted Cross was receiving benefits and would not realistically be able to make the payments within a reasonable time frame.

The defendant was ordered to pay £560 in compensation along with £340 towards prosecution costs and a £140 victim surcharge.

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A fraudster has been sentenced for claiming over £37,000 from his deceased mother.

Ulisses Spencer de Souza Montiero, from Haringey, has been sentenced to 30 months in jail for social care fraud by continuing to receive direct payments for his mother’s care but failing to declare that she had passed away in September 2014.

He continued to collect the payments of his mother Mrs Spencer, whom he resided with, until February 2016 – totalling to an overpayment of £37,549.28.

Haringey’s Corporate Fraud team became aware of the situation when working with social workers to review the direct payments sent to Mrs Spencer.

Mr Montiero sought to mislead the council by saying his mother was alive and on holiday in Portugal with his sister, even though the mother had been deceased for around 17 months.

Councillor Joseph Ejiofor, leader of Haringey Council, said: “Social care payments are a vital support for some of our most vulnerable residents – those who commit fraud are taking vital funds away from people who need them most. Our officers are working tirelessly to ensure every penny in this borough is being spent properly.”

During an unannounced home visit to Mr Montiero, a neighbour advised the Corporate Fraud team that they believed Mrs Spencer had passed away.

The fraudster appeared at the Old Bailey on August 30, after being convicted at an earlier trial at Highbury Magistrates Court in July 2019.

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Falsely claiming the Government's single person discount is the third most prevalent type of fraud in the UK, figures show.

This is where a person claims to live in a single-person household in order to receive a Council Tax discount from their local authority.

In the 2017/18 financial year, £15.8million was lost to this type of fraud - money that could have been used to support other services and individuals within the community.

The research, carried out by fraud prevention service Cifas, also showed that adults in London were twice as likely to consider falsely claiming a Single Person Discount on Council Tax as 'reasonable', as opposed to respondents in the East Midlands, West Midlands or South East.

These figures are being used as part of the Cifas 'Faces of Fraud' campaign, which aims to challenge those seemingly harmless behaviours that are, in fact, illegal. It said the awareness campaign - which has been trialled in Harrow Council, London - has so far saved the local authority £3.6million in lost revenue.

Fern Silverio, head of housing benefits for Harrow Council, said: "Like other Councils, Harrow is under pressure to maximise its income, particularly in the face of recent funding cuts. Our partnership has helped us keep fraudsters on their toes, at the same as future-proofing our own validation techniques."

In addition to Single Person Discount, unlawful subletting also remains a key housing fraud issue for local authorities.

The seemingly ‘victimless’ crime is estimated to have cost local authorities over £216million in the 2017/18 financial year- including fraud on right to buy.

Unlawful subletting in councils occurs when individuals let out their council housing without the permission of the council, meaning that in times of high demand for social housing, those in need may be denied the housing they require due to a seeming lack of available housing.

However, it is a criminal offence in the UK and can lead to criminal prosecution and the loss of the individual’s home.

Kevin Campbell, deputy head of Internal Audit and Anti Fraud from Waltham Forest Local Authority, said: "Council housing is in huge demand, and when a tenant’s circumstances change - for example, where they may have married and moved in with a partner - a council property is vulnerable to subletting.

"Council tenants do not want to relinquish their tenancies, as they are aware they may never obtain a council property again. Due to extremely high private rental charges in the area, by subletting a council property at a similar market rate to privately-owned properties, the council tenant will make a huge profit.

"Subletting has a huge impact on the Borough and local community, as the Council is unable to offer these properties to people in genuine need."

Mike Haley, at Cifas, added: "Unlawful subletting and fraudulent housing claims put huge financial pressure on local authorities and, more importantly, it means that families are missing out on the opportunity of a much-needed home.

"The consequences of this type of fraud are very serious indeed, and could result in a criminal conviction and a prison sentence. I would urge anyone thinking of falsely claiming housing benefit to consider the real impact this can have on their future as well as that of the community at large."

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A mother of three from Bradford who had £70,000 tucked away in five bank accounts has been sentenced to a community order for benefit fraud.

Della Lister, 31, from Eccleshill, pleaded guilty to dishonestly claiming £22,897 in Income Support, Council Tax Reduction and Housing Benefit by failing to disclose that she had capital over the prescribed limits.

Bradford Crown Court heard this week that Lister, who was of previous good character, had repaid all the money.

David Gordon, prosecuting, said she stated that she had just £200 in the bank when she had £70,442.

In mitigation, the court heard that she had inherited the bulk of the money following the tragic death of her mother when she was only a child.

Lister had worked in a care home but left to care for her grandmother, who had since passed away.

She did not live a lavish lifestyle, the court heard.

She was also very remorseful, the court was told.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC, sentenced Lister to a 12-month community order with 250 hours of unpaid work, and a rehabilitation activity requirement.

She must pay £525 court costs.

He said it was a “blatant fraud.”

Lister knew she had money tucked away in the bank, the court was told.

But she was an impeccable mother who would not trouble the courts again, the judge added.

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A benefit cheat who shamelessly fiddled nearly £64,000 from taxpayers for more than three years has been spared prison - because she has children.

Her partner had gambling debts at the time and she kept quiet that they had got back together after a separation and that he was working, a court heard.

Kelly Ledger, 40, of Scunthorpe, admitted three offences of failing to disclose that she was living with her partner between July 2014 and November 2017.

Nigel Clive, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Ledger originally lived with her partner but there was a short separation and she moved home. She began claiming benefit as a single parent with children but the couple got back together.

She told the authorities nothing of this and carried on claiming, even though he was working, and did not notify a change of circumstances for about three years.

"The claim was not fraudulent from the outset," said Mr Clive.

Richard Lunn, mitigating, said the money obtained was to pay debts and household bills and it did not mean that Ledger was living a lavish lifestyle.

"She has defrauded the taxpayers of this country over a significant period of time," said Mr Lunn. "It was a long period of deception. She has put a proposal before the court of how this can be repaid. She doesn't seek to excuse her actions."

Her partner had gambling debts at the time but he had since given up this.

Mr Lunn said Ledger had children and a prison sentence would affect her family as she was the primary carer.

Judge John Thackray QC told the court: "This is much-needed public money."

But he said that a prison sentence would have a "catastrophic effect" on Ledger's children, particularly her youngest child.

"I have wrestled with this decision," said Judge Thackray. "It has been a very close thing."

Ledger was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence, 150 hours' unpaid work and 15 days' rehabilitation.

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Nine cases of tenancy fraud, worth around £695,000, were stopped by Wolverhampton Council’s counter-fraud team in four months.

Illegal sub-lettings of properties were uncovered along with fraudulent right to buy applications and social housing application fraud.

And fraud where the owner tries to pass on the property to a relative, or fails to hand over the keys, was also detected.

The team tackled the fraud between April and July this year, a report revealed.

A total of 150 instances of suspected fraud were investigated by the team – with council bosses promising to take action to recover all stolen money as part of a "zero-tolerance" policy.

It comes after the council was chosen to pilot a HMRC scheme to crack down on the crime.

The report to the council’s Audit and Risk Committee said: “The counter-fraud team is continuing to develop and lead in raising fraud awareness across the council and in promoting an anti-fraud culture. The team carries out investigations into areas of suspected or reported fraudulent activity.

“It also organises a series of council wide pro-active fraud activities, including the targeted testing of areas open to the potential of fraudulent activity.

"The council was selected by the Cabinet Office as one of only 10 local authorities to take part in a pilot National Fraud Initiative (NFI) exercise where HMRC data has been matched to the council’s data for the first time.

“HMRC hold information about household composition, household earnings and property ownership. A sample of matches were investigated with the majority relating to tenancy issues.

“The counter-fraud team has provided feedback to the Cabinet Office which has been used to help refine the matches and to ensure the maximum impact is achieved from the exercise.”

A spokesman for Wolverhampton Council said: “The city of Wolverhampton Council operates a zero-tolerance policy on fraud and will not hesitate to take action as appropriate. We are pleased to be a key partner in this National Fraud Initiative data matching exercise because, ultimately, fraud against the council is fraud against the hard-working taxpayers of Wolverhampton.”

They added that the figures quoted in the report are notional figures provided by the Cabinet Office who calculate the full cost of the loss of each property to the public.

A total of 66 frontline staff have since been trained to highlight anything suspicious.

A tenancy fraud e-learning course will be distributed to all employees.

An estimated £2.1 billion is lost each year across the country due to fraud.

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This result blows that £2.1bn out of the water. It's £2m in a year for just one local authority, and mostly for tenancy issues.

A businessman who pocketed thousands of pounds in state handouts while working is currently paying back his ill-gotten gains at a rate which will take him more than 100 years to clear.

Charles Sludden, 63, continued claiming jobseekers allowance and employment support allowance despite doing sub-contracting work for 10 companies, a court heard.

Sludden, from Low Fell, Gateshead, who has a house which is worth more than £500,000, pocketed £33,292 he was not entitled to in a dishonest claim spanning more than four years.

He was rumbled after an anonymous tip-off and pleaded guilty to three benefit fraud charges.

Newcastle Crown Court heard he is currently paying back the money at just £25 a month, although he faces a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing at which he is likely to be ordered to pay back the full amount from his assets.

Jessica Slaughter, prosecuting, said: "The Crown say the defendant failed to disclose to the DWP earnings that he was receiving.

"When claiming jobseekers allowance, the defendant did so on the basis neither he nor his partner had any form of work income, capital or savings.

"When claiming employment support allowance he did so on the grounds of ill health, saying he was incapable of work and that he had no income, capital or savings. Anonymous information was received to suggest he had been working for his own company on a self-employed basis from his home address and suggesting he had undeclared assets."

The court heard an investigation showed he had been working for 10 different companies.

Miss Slaughter told the court: "When interviewed, he reluctantly admitted he had not told the DWP he had been earning money through self-employed sub contracting work."

She added: "The house he lives in is said to be worth £575,000 and there is a timetable to be set in relation to proceeds of crime."

Sludden has so far paid back £100 of the money, the court heard.

He admitted three benefit fraud charges between March 2013 and May 2017 and was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for two years with 200 hours unpaid work, a four month night-time curfew and a community order.

Ms Recorder Karaiskos told him: "The offences came to light because of an anonymous tip-off then an investigation ensued which revealed you had been working but failed to disclose that information to the relevant department.

"You are a man of previous good character and you were at one point a successful businessman and fell into financial difficulties.

"You were entitled to claim benefits at the beginning but continued to claim them unlawfully and dishonestly. I'm told you are remorseful and ashamed and so you should be. What example are you setting to your daughters who are now at university?

"The money was not spent on any lavish lifestyle but to pay the bills. You are now currently employed in two different jobs and repaying at £25 a month, it's going to take years to repay that."

Penny Hall, defending, said: "Before these offences, he was a businessman and, it seems, a rather successful businessman and a law-abiding man.

"What led to the offending was difficulties with work. He had believed he had secured a contract which was a significant contract, for which he had spent money to facilitate that contract and obtained credit in order to prepare for that contract.

"It transpired, in fact, the person he had spoken with didn't have the authority to agree that contract so when he invoiced the company he was informed the contract was not agreed and didn't actually exist.

"As a result of that, he lost future work and lost money. He had obtained credit as a result and fell into financial difficulties. That, it seems, led to a downward spiral in his business."

Miss Hall said Sludden had started claiming benefits legitimately at first due to his lack of income.

She added that the contracts he went on to secure while claiming benefits were "minimal" and he was unsure when or if he would get paid from them. The nature of his business was not revealed in court.

Miss Hall told the court: "He accepts he didn't notify the department of that.

"Despite the reference in the pre-sentence report of his main concern being for him, he is someone who is remorseful for his actions and clearly appreciates the effect this type of offending has on the wider community and benefits system. He is ashamed and embarrassed he is before this court.

"He is now employed and is trying to pay the money back to the department, at £25 a month from his income, and he has put his house up for sale."

Source

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