Benefit fraudsters pay for their Wokingham crimes
Fraudsters are finding that crime doesn’t pay in the Wokingham Borough – and two more benefits cheats found out the hard way at Reading Magistrates Court on June 26, after Wokingham Borough Council’s fraud investigations team caught up with them. As well as penalties for their crimes, the two fraudsters face repayment of all the defrauded money.
Martha Waugh aged 66, from Clements Close in Spencers Wood, made a fraudulent application for benefits in June 2003, failing to declare two private pensions and some of her bank accounts. Ms Waugh then also failed to tell Wokingham council when she started working in September 2003. Even when her claim was reviewed in June 2006, she still fraudulently failed to declare the pensions, bank accounts and her employment.
Discrepancies were noticed by staff in the council's benefits team and an investigation found evidence of the pensions, bank accounts and paid work. In court Ms Waugh pleaded guilty to five offences and was sentenced to 200 hours community service and ordered to pay £800 costs. She is also currently repaying the overpaid benefit, which amounted to £11,491.57.
Tina Hawkins aged 41, from Highgate Road in Woodley, failed to declare that she was receiving maintenance payments, which had recommenced in April 2007. An investigation proved the payments coming from the Child Support Agency (CSA). In court Ms Hawkins pleaded guilty and was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 costs. The overpaid benefit, of £3762.08, is being recovered from her current entitlement.
Wokingham Revenues and benefits investigations manager Alistair Nunn-Price said: “Cheating the benefit system is a crime and is taken extremely seriously. Our benefit fraud investigations team are very vigilant, and these cases show that those who make fraudulent claims will be found out and made to pay it back – as well as paying the costs of the court case.”
Martha Waugh aged 66, from Clements Close in Spencers Wood, made a fraudulent application for benefits in June 2003, failing to declare two private pensions and some of her bank accounts. Ms Waugh then also failed to tell Wokingham council when she started working in September 2003. Even when her claim was reviewed in June 2006, she still fraudulently failed to declare the pensions, bank accounts and her employment.
Discrepancies were noticed by staff in the council's benefits team and an investigation found evidence of the pensions, bank accounts and paid work. In court Ms Waugh pleaded guilty to five offences and was sentenced to 200 hours community service and ordered to pay £800 costs. She is also currently repaying the overpaid benefit, which amounted to £11,491.57.
Tina Hawkins aged 41, from Highgate Road in Woodley, failed to declare that she was receiving maintenance payments, which had recommenced in April 2007. An investigation proved the payments coming from the Child Support Agency (CSA). In court Ms Hawkins pleaded guilty and was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 costs. The overpaid benefit, of £3762.08, is being recovered from her current entitlement.
Wokingham Revenues and benefits investigations manager Alistair Nunn-Price said: “Cheating the benefit system is a crime and is taken extremely seriously. Our benefit fraud investigations team are very vigilant, and these cases show that those who make fraudulent claims will be found out and made to pay it back – as well as paying the costs of the court case.”
Wokingham Borough Council
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