Spelthorne Borough Council has successfully prosecuted a woman who fraudulently claimed welfare benefits from the Council.
On 29 October 2008 Jacqueline Bowen aged 44, of Ruxbury Court, Cumberland Road, Ashford was fined a total of £170 after earlier pleading guilty to four offences relating to benefit fraud under the Social Security Administration Act 1992. She was also ordered to pay £262.50 in legal costs to the Council.
An investigation by Spelthorne Borough Council discovered that between February and May 2008 Mrs Bowen fraudulently claimed £2423 of Housing Benefit and £266 of Council Tax Benefit. Mrs Bowen has repaid the Council Tax benefit she claimed and is repaying the Housing Benefit by instalments.
Mrs Bowen had been receiving Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit from Spelthorne Borough Council but failed to inform the Council, as she was required to do, that she had started working. That meant that she was no longer receiving Job Seekers Allowance and, because of her income from work, she was no longer entitled to receive Housing and Council Tax benefit.
The Magistrates explained that, for a number of reasons, on this occasion they would impose a lower penalty than the offences would normally attract. These included the fact that she had started paying back the benefits she falsely claimed and was doing so at a rate higher than that already agreed with the Council and that she pleaded guilty early in the proceedings.
Cllr Smith-Ainsley, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing said: “This demonstrates the Council’s determination to detect and prosecute those who fraudulently claim benefits. We do this in order to ensure that honest claimants receive their full benefit entitlement and to send a signal to others contemplating fraud. Be warned, we will come after you and you will be prosecuted.”
For more information, contact the Communications team on 01784 446297 or 01784 444260.
