Fraudster sentenced for wrongly claiming £14,000 benefit
A Dartford woman has been prosecuted after clocking up benefit overpayments of more than £14,000 for failing to declare her partner was living with her.
Christine Waller, 53, of Atlee Drive, Dartford, appeared at Dartford Magistrates Court on Wednesday 20 February after pleading guilty to one count of dishonestly failing to give a prompt notification of a change in circumstance that would affect benefit entitlement and three counts of dishonestly making a false statement with a view to obtaining benefit.
Waller made a claim for housing benefit and council tax benefit in April 2003 but failed to declare a change in circumstances when her partner moved into the property in July 2003.
Despite completing further claim forms in December 2004 and June 2005 and a benefit claim review in September 2005, Waller still didn’t notify the council of a change in circumstances.
Waller was interviewed under caution as a result of a referral from the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) and admitted her partner had been living with her since July 2003.
Cllr Tony Martin, Deputy Leader for Dartford Borough Council, says benefit cheats need to realise it is a serious crime.
“Our fraud investigation team have been working extremely hard to weed out the minority of residents who insist on cheating the system at the expense of others. Fraudsters need to be aware that we take the matter very seriously and they will be caught and prosecuted”
Waller was sentenced to a Conditional Discharge for 30 months on each of the 4 counts, to run concurrently at Dartford Magistrates Court on Wednesday 20 February and ordered to pay £217-00 towards prosecution costs.
In total, she was overpaid £10,722-30 in respect of Housing Benefit and £3,430-51 in respect of Council Tax Benefit, a total of £ 14,152-81, which she is now having to repay.
