Nine More Fraud Convictions Across NI

This week the Magistrates' courts across Northern Ireland were busy yet again with nine successful prosecutions reported against customers who received social security benefits they were not entitled to.

Once case was that of a Newtownabbey man who failed to declare his capital and was paid £6,533 in Housing Benefit.  This resulted in a sentence of 80 hours community service.  The other eight cases reported were due to the customer failing to tell the Social Security Agency that they were working while claiming benefits such as Income Support and Housing Benefit.  These cases resulted in a number of fines; one example was the Antrim woman who was paid benefits totaling £3,620 and who was fined £1,200.  

In all these cases the Magistrate awarded court costs to the Social Security Agency.  This means that the person has to pay costs to the court in addition to any fine or community service order that was handed out.   All are also required to repay the amount of benefit they wrongfully obtained back to the Social Security Agency.

The total number of cases that have been convicted through the courts this year is 232.

Details of these cases and others can be found at www.stopbenefitfraudni.gov.uk