Benefit Fraud Weekly Review – 20 February 2012.
Confiscation Order follows benefit fraud conviction.
At Downpatrick Crown last week a 55 year old man had a Confiscation Order issued against him to the value of £28,297.00. He had claimed Income Support and Rates Rebate but failed to declare to the Department that his wife was working. Due to this he received £22,735.05 in benefits he was not entitled to. At court last year he pleaded guilty to three charges of failure to declare his true circumstances and received 200 hours community service. At the hearing last week the Court granted a Confiscation Order in the amount of £28,297.00 with a sentence of eighteen months imprisonment in default of non-payment. He has until 13 August 2012 to satisfy the order.
Two suspended sentences were handed out last week , one at Londonderry Magistrates and the other at Newry Crown Court. An eighteen month and a three month custodial sentence both suspended for two years were imposed on the two offenders who had a combined overpayment of £54,869.62. This must be repaid to the Department.
A 47 year old Belfast woman received two years probation for failing to declare employment whilst in receipt of Income Support, Incapacity Benefit and Housing Benefit.
Three offenders each received two year conditional discharges apiece at Londonderry and Armagh Courts and a 48 year old Belfast woman got a twelve month conditional discharge last week. A variety of offences were committed including wrongful encashment of Social Fund payment, capital in excess of the permitted thresholds and failure to declare work. A 47 year old Newtownards man was given a twelve month conditional discharge along with a £125 fine for having excess capital while in receipt of Housing Benefit.
690 hours of community service was given out to five offenders also. Their offences included wrongful encashment of Income Support, failing to notify the Department of work and failure to declare true living arrangements with a partner. Overpayments in the five cases amounted to £50,888.91 which has to be repaid to the Department.
The total number of cases convicted through the courts in 2011/2012 is now 454.
Administrative Penalties and Formal Cautions – January 2012.
Each month Benefit Investigation Services (BIS) and Instrument of Payment Security Unit (IOPSU) offer Administrative Penalties and Formal Cautions in some circumstances.
BIS statistics refer to cases of benefit fraud such as working and claiming, living together cases and failing to declare savings.
IOPSU statistics refer to cases such as people reporting that a payment has gone missing and requires replacement with investigations proving that the person had cashed both payments, therefore committing an offence.
BIS issued 32 Administrative Penalties in January.
IOPSU issued 10 Administrative Penalties in January.
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