Legal News

A council cleaner who committed benefit fraud by claiming £14,444 in disability benefit has been ordered to obey a curfew for 12 weeks.
The 7pm to 7am curfew was imposed on Maria Millward, 50, after surveillance was arranged to check suspicions about the distance she claimed to be able to walk.
Suffering from arthritis Millward had claimed disability benefits in November 2005 saying she was not able to go to work and the Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ court heard.
On her benefit application form, she indicated that she had problems walking distances by saying she could do "100 meters on a good day. But when her problem had eased she did not inform the same to the Benefits Agency.
The court was told that, on November 11 and 17, 2011, Millward was seen walking 450 yards to a bus stop, getting off the vehicle and walking another 700 yards to get to her job with Derby City Council. She was also seen making the return journey.
Millward, of Cornwall Road, Chaddesden, admitted two counts of misrepresenting her capabilities and exaggerating her needs to obtain disability living allowance on June 14, 2006.
Prosecutor said that the Department of Work and Pensions had made inquiries with the council and been told that Millward was able to do the cleaning job although she needed a trolley to remove rubbish.
District Judge Caroline Goulborn said she accepted the benefit claim was genuine when first made and that Millward had the case hanging over her head for a long time.
But the judge said that it was not a victimless crime because everybody was having to pay. That she was taking money which she was not entitled to take.
The judge told Millward that she should have explained to the Benefits Agency about the change in her situation but instead she continued to claim for some time.
Benefit fraud lawyer mitigating, told the judge that there was a distinction in the claim as it was legitimate in the beginning and the fact that there was no doubt number of health issues.
He added that his client was not using the claims to finance a extravagant lifestyle.
He said Millward suffered from arthritis among other medical problems and was having £17.50 deducted weekly from her current benefits towards the overpayment. Millward was told to pay £100 prosecution costs.