Benefits Purge nets thousands

Stratford-on-Avon District Council underlined its commitment to cracking down on benefit fraud following a number of recent successful prosecutions at Leamington Spa Justice Centre.

• David Batchelor (46) of Kingley Avenue, Alcester pleaded guilty to failing to declare employment that resulted in overpayments of benefit totalling £2,133.71 following intervention by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the District Council. Mr Batchelor was fined and ordered to pay costs.
  
• Karl Vernon (43) of South Green Drive, Stratford-upon-Avon pleaded guilty to failing to declare employment that resulted in overpayments of benefit totalling £2,780.64 following intervention by the DWP and District Council. Mr Vernon was fined and ordered to pay costs.
  
• Zoe Grisenthwaite (39) of Drayton Avenue (now of Hill View), Stratford-upon-Avon pleaded guilty to failing to declare a change in employer that resulted in overpayments totalling £9,410.91 following intervention by the District Council. Ms Grisenthwaite was handed a 12 month conditional discharge.
  
• Ronald Burke (66) of Hertford Road, Stratford-upon-Avon pleaded guilty to failing to declare employment that resulted in overpayments of benefit totalling £4,123.95 following intervention by the District Council.  Mr Burke was given a Community Service Order in lieu of a fine and ordered to pay costs.

In all the cases above the full amount of the overpayment must be repaid to the District Council in addition to any Court fines imposed.

Cllr Valerie Hobbs, Enterprise, Housing & Revenues Portfolio says: “Stratford District Council remains committed to tackling benefit fraud.  In these tough financial times there are many residents who are in genuine need of the help and support that benefits provide and that's why we are committed to catching fraudsters and making sure that benefits are only paid to those who are legitimately entitled to them.  The District Council is determined to deal firmly with the small minority of claimants who do not report changes in their circumstances promptly.  These prosecutions are the result of hard work put in by our officers and the Department for Work and Pensions, and it sends out a clear message to anyone thinking of committing benefit fraud that they won't get away with it.

“The enforcement agencies are using increasingly sophisticated data-matching technology as directed by the Government to eliminate both fraud and error in spending from the Public Purse.  The Government's commitment to seek out and punish those guilty of benefit fraud will continue to be enforced by the District Council in conjunction with Department for Work and Pensions.  Help and guidance on how to claim is readily available from the District Council's Benefits team, so make sure you let the District Council know if something changes for you."

The District Council would like to remind all benefit recipients to notify their changes of circumstances as soon as the change occurs – change of job, a pay rise, changes in capital and savings, or people living in the house in order to prevent large overpayments arising.

If you have any suspicions that someone is committing benefit fraud, please report them and contact the local Counter Fraud Hotline 01789 260486.