Suspended sentence and community payback for Maidenhead man

A Maidenhead man has been sentenced to 10 weeks in jail suspended for 12 months and ordered to carry out 240 hours community payback for cheating taxpayers out of more than £9,000.

Vincius Salcedo, 30, who was living in the Riverside area at the time, had pleaded guilty to 10 offences at East Berkshire Magistrates' Court Maidenhead on Friday 12 August: two counts of failing to give a prompt change affecting entitlement, four counts of dishonestly making a false statement to obtain benefits and four of making a false statement. These were offences under Section 112 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992.

On Friday 2 September at East Berkshire Magistrates' Court Slough he was sentenced and instructed to pay a £3,000 compensation order via the courts. Mr Salcedo has also arranged a repayment plan with the Royal Borough for the balance.

The case arose after a Royal Borough benefits officer contacted the benefit fraud team with suspicions that Mr Salcedo had provided false tenancy details while claiming housing and/or council tax benefit based on a Job Seekers Allowance.

Mr Salcedo received a total of £9,097.04 in overpayments, made up of:
• £363 in council tax benefits from 25 August 2008 to 23 February 2009
• £8,734.04 in housing benefit from 25 August 2008 to 10 January 2011.

Cllr Richard Kellaway, Cabinet Member for Finance, said: "The Royal Borough's benefit fraud team receives tip-offs from a number of sources, including the benefits team and partner organisations such as the Department for Work and Pensions.

"We also invite members of the public to contact us if they suspect benefit fraud. I would strongly advise anyone who has received overpayments to contact us as soon as possible so that the issue can be resolved."

The council's confidential and free Beat the Cheat line for reporting suspected benefit fraud is on 0500 353300.

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