Double success as two Maidenhead benefit cheats sentenced

Two Maidenhead women were sentenced on Friday (17 June), in two separate cases, for cheating taxpayers out of a total of nearly £15,000.

Mrs Tracy Davison, 40, of Suffolk Road, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to four offences of dishonestly failing to give prompt notification of a change in circumstances. These were offences under Section 111A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992.

At East Berkshire Magistrates' Court Slough on Friday Mrs Davison - who raked in £13,000 in false benefit claims - was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid community work over the next year and contribute £170 towards the cost of the prosecution.

The case arose as a result of a Department for Work and Pensions referral, which suggested that Mrs Davison had failed to declare a period of employment as well as a member of her household living there while she claimed housing benefit, council tax benefit and income support.

Mrs Davison fraudulently obtained a total of 13,003.28 in overpayments, made up of:
• £6,897.50 in housing benefit and £1,132.83 in council tax benefit between 25 May 2009 and 9 August 2010
• £1,754.50 in income support between 28 October 2008 and 3 May 2010
• £3,218.45 in income support between 19 May 2009 and 3 May 2010.

In the second case on the same day Mrs Georgette Wallis, 36, of Arkley Court, pleaded guilty at East Berkshire Magistrates' Court Maidenhead to one offence of failing to notify a change of circumstances, an offence under Section 112(1A) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992.

Mrs Wallis, who received £1,962.21 in overpaid benefits between 20 September and 13 December 2010, was fined £125 and ordered to pay £170 towards costs and £15 victim surcharge.

This case arose as a result of a housing benefit matching service referral suggesting Mrs Wallis had failed to notify the Royal Borough that her jobseekers allowance had ended due to her starting work full time. She continued to receive housing benefit as an unemployed person.

Both women will also arrange a repayment plan with the Royal Borough.

Cllr Richard Kellaway, Cabinet Member for Finance, said: "The Royal Borough and its partner organisations work closely together to fight benefit fraud and these two cases show how well the partnerships work.

"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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