Pursuing Benefit Fraud

Press Release

12 December 2011

Melton Borough Council have secured 2 successful benefit fraud prosecutions in the last 2 months. Benefit Fraud is taken very seriously and the Council has a strong record of successful benefit investigations over the last year, reinforcing our commitment to pursue benefit fraudsters.

Committing benefit fraud affects everyone. Benefits are in place to help the most vulnerable people in our society; particularly even more important bearing in mind the difficult times the residents of the Borough are experiencing during the current economic situation and those who deliberately set out to cheat the system will be dealt with accordingly.

Mrs Frances Walker of Asfordby was convicted at Leicester Magistrates Court on Friday 30th September 2011 when she pleaded guilty to making false representations in order to secure more Housing and Council Tax Benefit by not declaring her partner’s occupational pension over a period spanning more than 2 years. This lead to a total amount of these benefits being falsely claimed of £11,199.90.  Due to Mrs Walker’s circumstances she was fined £160.00 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge fee of £15.00, this is in addition to having to repay the £11,199.90. 

Mr Philip Wakefield of Melton Mowbray was also convicted at Leicester Magistrates Court on Friday 4th November 2011 as a result of a joint investigation with the Department for Work and Pensions when he pleaded guilty to 6 charges of making false representations and failing to report changes in his circumstances promptly in order to secure more Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Income Support by not declaring he was working and more recently that he was now living with his partner.  The offences covered periods spanning up to 4 years. This lead to a total amount of Housing and Council Tax Benefit being falsely claimed of £4,495.50 and an amount of £8,339.63 being falsely claimed in Income Support.  Mr Wakefield was sentenced to 8 weeks in imprisonment suspended for 12 months with a requirement to carry out 200 hours unpaid work in the community and £150 costs, this is in addition to repaying the total amount of £12,835.13. 

Cllr David Wright Chairman of the Community and Social Affairs Committee said:

‘We as a Council are committed to reduce fraud and error within the Housing and Council Tax Benefit system – in addition to the 2 prosecutions we have issued 13 other sanctions since April this year as a result of successful investigations identifying another £11,260.46 of falsely claimed Benefit as well as having several other prosecution cases in the pipeline’

Melton Borough Council has various options they can take when they have sufficient evidence that a person is committing benefit fraud these are:

• Issue a written warning
• Issue a formal caution
• Issue an Administrative Penalty – this is a financial penalty calculated as 30% of the amount that has been overpaid
• Prosecute

Whatever action is taken any money that has been overpaid must be repaid.

If you know of someone who is claiming benefit to which they are not entitled please call the confidential Benefit Hotline on: 0800 028 2196.

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