The Revenues and Benefit Service has a zero tolerance policy towards benefit fraud. The Investigations Team consistently remain in the top ten performing councils in the country for taking action against those people found to have committed benefit fraud.
In 2009/10, 291 claimants were formally sanctioned, of which 92 people were prosecuted and received criminal records, 70 people accepted Formal Cautions (warnings) and 129 people accepted Administrative Penalties (fines).
The team uncovered over £500,000.00 of fraudulently claimed Housing Benefit and Council Tex Benefit. This money will have to repaid to the council.
We regularly have court cases featured in the Leicester Mercury newspaper and work closely with the Department for Work and Pensions. We receive our information from a variety of sources, including referrals from the public.
To report fraud, call the Fraud Hotline on 0116 238 5262 or email: benefitfraud@leicester.gov.uk
Recent prosecutions
Miss Sagal Mohamed Abdi was investigated for living together with her partner, Ahmed Giumale, who was in full time employment and also a student at Nottingham and Sheffield Universities. Miss Abdi claimed Income Support, Housing and Council Tax Benefit as a single parent. She denied the allegations, despite extensive evidence obtained during the investigation. Miss Abdi stated that Ahmed Giumale had come from Somalia, they had a short relationship and then he was sent back to Somalia as he had no leave to remain in the UK. Mr Giumale had in fact been working for a number of recruitment agencies and also studying at the Universities whilst giving his home address as that of Miss Abdi . He had also declared that she was his wife. Miss Abdi first appeared in Leicester Magistrates Court in October 2010, when she entered a Not Guilty plea. The case had to be adjourned to a date in December 2010 for a full trial. Miss Abdi reappeared in court in December 2010 and was found guilty of all four charges. She was sentenced to 16 weeks custody (4weeks for each offence consecutively) suspended for 18 months and given three hundred hours unpaid work. She had been overpayment for the period 18/04/2005 to 31/03/2009 amounting to £10,786.37 Housing Benefit overpayment and £3,269.84 Council Tax Benefit overpayment.
Leigh Ann Madeloso was investigated for living together with her partner, Steve Williams, who was in full time employment. She claimed Income Support, Housing and Council Tax Benefit as a single parent. She denied the allegations, despite extensive periods of surveillance when Mr Williams was seen leaving the property in the early hours going to work, and returning in the evenings. She maintained that Mr Williams visited to see his two children. She first appeared in Leicester Magistrates Court in October 2010, when she entered a Not Guilty plea. The case had to be adjourned to a date in February 2011, as she was expecting their third child. She reappeared in court in February 2011 and was found guilty of all charges. She received a 12 months Community Punishment Order and was ordered to do 240 hours unpaid work. Her Housing Benefit was re calculated and she was found to have been overpaid Housing Benefit of £2,555.58 and Council Tax Benefit of £593.45. She was also found to have been overpaid Income Support
Robert Wilson of Wigston Lane was interviewed for failing to declare an account with Sainsburys, following Housing Benefit matching service information (electronic transfer of mismatch information from the Department of Work and Pensions). During the interview he declared numerous other undeclared accounts and savings with several other banks. His claim for Council Tax Benefit was false and when recalculated the overpayment of Council Tax Benefit was in excess of £7,000 spanning a seven year period. He appeared at Leicester Magistrates on February 25th where he pleaded guilty to the charges and received a £500 fine, £1145.19 costs plus a £15 victim surcharge. Because of his age (born in 1936), a Punishment Order was ruled out .
Balvinder Singh of Moat Road was interviewed for failing to declare that a non dependant had moved into the property. Mr Singh had previously accepted an Administrative Penalty for failing to declare work. Although the overpayment in respect of the non dependant was only £86 the case was referred to Legal Services in view of the previous Administrative penalty. He appeared at Leicester Magistrates Court on January 5th 2011. He pleaded not guilty but was found guilty on all counts. He received an 18 months conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £100 costs.
Ex-student is guilty of £17k fraud in benefits
A former student who fraudulently claimed more than £17,000 of benefits has been given a suspended jail sentence.
Marie Buyoya started off by legitimately claiming jobseekers' allowance and housing and council tax payments in May 2006.
She then enrolled on a three-year business studies course at Leicester's De Montfort University the following September and received thousands of pounds in student grants and loans, but failed to notify the authorities of a change in her circumstances.
Adrian Harris, prosecuting, said Buyoya (31) falsely signed 78 confirmations saying the information the authorities had was accurate. He said she failed to declare that during the three years of studying she received £9,600 in student grants and about £8,000 in student loans, which she received via a friend's bank account.
Mr Harris said the benefits overpayment totaled £17,815, although if she had been truthful she would have been entitled to council tax benefits of about £1,300. Some of the money has been repaid.
Buyoya was caught out by cross-checking between Government agencies. When questioned she said she thought the student income was "just for school stuff". Mr Harris said: "She's intelligent and was on a business studies course and would have known what she was doing."
Buyoya, of Portmore Close, Beaumont Leys, Leicester, admitted three counts of benefit fraud, between 2006 and 2009. She was given an 18-week jail term, suspended for a year, ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work and placed on a curfew.
The court heard that in June 2006 she received a suspended term for her involvement in a credit card fraud, when she obtained £6,500 in goods and cash. Sentencing, Recorder Geoffrey Solomons said she "richly deserved" to go to prison and her previous conviction was an aggravating feature, but he told her: "I'm prepared to take a risk with you and suspend the sentence.” 10/1/2011
The City Council runs a confidential fraud hotline which people can use to report anyone thought to be falsely claiming benefits. Call 0116 238 5262
For more information about Housing and Council Tax Benefit rules call 0116 252 7006.
