Housing Benefit cheat prosecuted

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Local Government and also in Housing, Legal

A Housing Benefit cheat has been given 150 hours of unpaid work and £450 fine after illegally claiming more than £7,000 in benefits.

Sevenoaks District Council discovered that the crook had fraudulently claimed £4,500 in Housing and Council Tax Benefit, plus a further £2,500 in income support.

The unnamed Edenbridge fraudster failed to report that she was living with a partner who was in paid employment. She pleaded guilty to three counts of benefit fraud at Sevenoaks Magistrates' Court.

The council and the Department of Work and Pensions are now seeking repayment of all the illegally claimed money.

Cllr Brian Ramsay, the Council's Cabinet Member for Finance, said: "The punishment and costs in this case demonstrate the seriousness of the fraud. We want to warn other like-minded benefit cheats that we will use all the powers available to us to bring them to justice."