Benefit fraud Wokingham prosecution
Wokingham Borough Council’s tough stance against benefit fraud has been highlighted by the successful prosecution of a Winnersh woman for trying to cheat the system.
Deborah Corcoran, aged 40, of Rainbow Park, Winnersh, Wokingham admitted making false representations on housing and council tax benefit claim forms, namely that she was not in receipt of working or child tax credit when, in fact, she was receiving it. She was sentenced to a 12-month community order and to 120 hours’ unpaid work at Slough Magistrates’ Court on March 12, and was also ordered to pay £500 costs.
Corcoran falsely claimed £9,252.35 of housing benefit and £2,347.52 of Wokingham council tax benefit between March 2004 and December 2006. She will have to pay this money back in full.
The Wokingham council’s revenues and benefits services manager Kevin Mercer said: “Benefits fraud is stealing from every honest taxpayer and it is something we are determined to crackdown on. Our investigations team always work hard to ensure their case is watertight when we undertake a prosecution and they have, once again, saved the taxpayer money through their efforts. The message to anybody thinking of trying to get away with benefits fraud is: we will catch you.”
Deborah Corcoran, aged 40, of Rainbow Park, Winnersh, Wokingham admitted making false representations on housing and council tax benefit claim forms, namely that she was not in receipt of working or child tax credit when, in fact, she was receiving it. She was sentenced to a 12-month community order and to 120 hours’ unpaid work at Slough Magistrates’ Court on March 12, and was also ordered to pay £500 costs.
Corcoran falsely claimed £9,252.35 of housing benefit and £2,347.52 of Wokingham council tax benefit between March 2004 and December 2006. She will have to pay this money back in full.
The Wokingham council’s revenues and benefits services manager Kevin Mercer said: “Benefits fraud is stealing from every honest taxpayer and it is something we are determined to crackdown on. Our investigations team always work hard to ensure their case is watertight when we undertake a prosecution and they have, once again, saved the taxpayer money through their efforts. The message to anybody thinking of trying to get away with benefits fraud is: we will catch you.”
Wokingham Borough Council
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