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Latest Housing and Council Tax Benefit Prosecutions
If you think you know someone who is committing Benefit Fraud we would like to hear from you.
The Council successfully prosecuted the following at Stevenage Magistrates Court on 13/09/08
Michael Duguid, 47 Westmill Road, Hitchin pleaded guilty to failing to declare a change in his circumstances, namely that he had not reported that his wife was working and in receipt of earnings. He was convicted under Section 112 (1A) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 and sentenced to a Community Punishment Order for 18 months and had to pay £300 towards the Council's legal costs. In addition he has to attend an alcohol abuse therapy course. He also has to repay the overpaid benefit of £4325.
The Council successfully prosecuted the following at Stevenage Magistrates Court on 19/06/08
Steven Szarvas of 62b Icknield Way, Letchworth
Steven Szarvas was successfully prosecuted for Benefit fraud. He pleaded guilty to failing to declare a change in circumstances, namely that he his entitlement to Job Seekers allowance had ceased when he started work. He was convicted, and the Magistrates imposed a Conditional Discharge for 12 months, together with an order that he pay legal costs of £493.00. He also has to repay £997.46 of overpaid benefits he was not entitled to.
The Council successfully prosecuted the following at Stevenage Magistrates Court on 4/06/08
Mark Crosbie, 25 Icknield Way, Baldock, Herts
Mark Crosbie pleaded guilty to failing to declare a change in his circumstances, namely that he had started work and for approx. 3 months he claimed Housing and Council Tax Benefit to which he was not entitled. He was convicted under Section 112 (1A) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 and was sentenced to 40 hours unpaid community work and had to pay £1000 in legal costs. He also has to repay the £1348 in overpaid benefit.
The Council successfully prosecuted the following at Stevenage Magistrates Court on 27/02/08
Mark Bullock, 100 Chaucer Way, Hitchin, Herts SG4 0NX
Mark Bullock pleaded guilty to failing to report that he had been working as a cleaner. He was sentenced to a Community Punishment Order of 50 hours unpaid work to be completed within 12 months. He also had to pay £117:50 legal costs. He was overpaid Housing and Council Tax Benefit in the sum of £557:14 covering the period 29/05/06 - 10/09/06. This debt must also be repaid. This was a joint prosecution with The Department of Work and Pensions.
Mr David Blakey of Sammana Bungalow, 14a Priory View, Little Wymondley, Nr Hitchin, Herts, SG4 7HG
On three occasions namely the 20th March, 17th November 2006 and 26th March 2007, Mr Blakey dishonestly made false declarations on his application forms for Council Tax benefit. Mr. Blakey failed to advise that he held two building society accounts with balances totalling over £16,000, knowing that this failure would affect his entitlement to council tax benefit, as so required by Regulation 65(1) of the Council Tax Benefit (General) Regulations 1992 as amended. Contrary to Section 111(1A) Social Security Administration Act 1992 as inserted by Section 16 Social Security Fraud Act 2001.
Mr Blakey was therefore in receipt of £2,177.82 of council tax benefits that he was not entitled to.
Mr Blakey represented himself and entered a guilty plea to the charge. The magistrates imposed a Fine of £400.00 plus the £15.00 Victim Surcharge. Legal costs in the sum of £591.60 were also ordered to be paid to the Council.
The Council successfully prosecuted the following at Stevenage Magistrates Court on 30/01/08
Ms Nina Anderson of 57 Maddles, Letchworth, Herts SG6 2QW
Nina Anderson pleaded guilty at Stevenage Magistrates Court to a charge of dishonesty in that she failed to notify the Council that her husband was in full-time work. She was convicted under Section 111A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 and was sentenced to a 6 months Community Order and had to pay the Council's legal costs of £591:60. She also has to repay the overpayment of Housing and Council Tax Benefit which amounted to £2,871:83
The Council successfully prosecuted the following at Stevenage Magistrates Court on 29/11/07
Miss Paula Mcguire of 39c Walsworth Road, Hitchin, Herts, SG4 5DJ
Paula Mcguire was arrested and brought before Magistrates to answer a charge of failing to notify the Council that her claim to Job Seekers Allowance had ceased in August 2005. This resulted in an overpayment of Housing Benefit of £3,419 which she was not entitled to. Miss McGuire pleaded guilty to the charge, and was sentenced to complete a Community Punishment order for 12months in which 125 hours unpaid work has to be completed. The Magistrates further imposed an order that she must complete 25 sessions of Education Training and Employment. As well as being required to repay the Council the overpaid benefit she was ordered to contribute £1000 toward the councils legal costs.
The Council successfully prosecuted the following at Stevenage Magistrates Court on 28/11/07
Miss Sharon Cope of 63 Boscombe Court , Letchworth, Herts SG6 1RW
Sharon Cope pleaded guilty to failing to advise the Councils Benefit Section that she had started paid employment. This resulted in an overpayment of Housing & Council Tax benefit of £3,101. She was sentenced to complete a Community Order for 12 months in which 40 hours unpaid work was to be completed. An order was also made for her to contribute £200 toward the Council's legal costs and repay the overpaid benefit.
The Council successfully prosecuted the following at Stevenage Magistrates Court on 26/10/07
Irene McCann, 191 Western Way, Letchworth, Herts SG6 4TB
Irene Mc Cann pleaded guilty for failing to declare that she had been living with her partner since January 2006. This resulted in an overpayment of Housing and Council Tax benefit of £3667:41 and an overpayment of £651:43 Income Support all of which must be repaid. She was convicted under Section 112 (1A) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 whereby she received a 12 month Conditional Discharge with a 12 month supervision order and she had to pay £117:50 contribution towards legal costs.
This was a joint prosecution with the Dept of Work and Pensions.
The Council successfully prosecuted the following at Stevenage Magistrates Court on 15/08/07
Linda Cooke, 31 Chasten Hill, Letchworth, Herts SG6 4YN
Linda Cooke pleaded guilty to failing to declare promptly to the Council that she had started work. She failed to inform the Council that she had commenced work in December 2005 and this resulted in an overpayment of Housing and Council Tax Benefit of £3504:52 which she must repay. She was convicted under Section 112 (1A) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 and she incurred a 12 month Conditional Discharge and had to pay £150.00 towards the Council's legal costs.
The Council successfully prosecuted the following at Stevenage Magistrates Court on 18/07/07
Gerald Jarvis, 23 Kingfisher Court, Letchworth, Herts SG6 4NT
Gerald Jarvis pleaded guilty to 2 charges of failing to declare that he had capital in the region of £30k in undeclared Building Society accounts. He was convicted of being dishonest under Section 111A of the Social Security Administration Act 1192 and was sentenced to a 12 month Conditional Discharge and had to pay the Council's full legal costs of £838:10. He also has to repay the overpaid benefit of £3752:06
The Council successfully prosecuted the following at Stevenage Magistrates Court on 11/07/07
Mrs Sally Gibson Western Way, Letchworth Garden City.
A woman who pretended she was living on her own in order to claim housing benefit and council tax benefit was ordered to repay £6,300.47 at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Wednesday 11 July). In fact she was living with her husband, who was working. The fraud was detected by the investigations team at North Hertfordshire District Council, which brought the prosecution.
The court found that on three occasions, 26 October 2005, 10 March and 12 November 2006, Mrs Sally Gibson, of Western Way, Letchworth Garden City, made false statements and failed to declare the presence of a partner, knowing that this failure would affect her entitlement to housing benefit and council tax benefit.
Mrs Gibson pleaded guilty to all three charges. Following consideration of a probation report, the magistrates imposed a Community Order for 80 hours of unpaid work in the community to be completed and she was also ordered to pay £750 towards the Council’s legal costs.
Cllr Terry Hone, Deputy Leader of NHDC and Portfolio Holder for Finance, said, “The Council wants to ensure that we give the maximum benefits to those who need and deserve them, but we will never tolerate benefit fraud. Those antisocial people who try it can expect to be caught and the Council will seek the maximum penalty.”
The Council successfully prosecuted the following at Stevenage Magistrates Court on 28/02/07
Ms Mary Moore, 107 Swift Close, Letchworth, Herts
The offence was failure to declare a change in her circumstances ie she failed to notify the Council that she had started paid employment and on a second count that she was in receipt of working tax credits. She pleaded guilty to both offences and was sentenced to a 40-hour community punishment order and ordered to pay costs of £150.The total overpayment in this case was £3,328.20 and this also has to be repaid to the Council.
All of these cases were prosecuted under Section 112 (1A) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992.
If you think you know someone who is committing Benefit Fraud we would like to hear from you.
