Legal News
Community Order for benefit fraud conviction, after claimant failed to declare second job (3 November 2014)
Date: 03/11/2014
A benefit claimant who failed to report a change in circumstances when she started a second job has been sentenced to a 12-month Community Order and 100 hours of unpaid work by Derby Magistrates’ Court.
Local publisher the Ashbourne News Telegraph reports that 44-year-old Sally Hodson-Ridgway, of George Street in Ashbourne did not advise Derbyshire Dales District Council of a change in her employment circumstances. As a result, she claimed benefit for two years while holding down two different jobs with local cleaning and hotel companies.
Ms Hodgson-Ridgway claimed £9,926 over the two-year period. She started claiming benefits in April 2010 and declared sole employment with the cleaning company at a rate of £107.94 a fortnight, the court heard.
However, in August 2010 she took on another job with the hotel company and failed to advise benefit claims officers.
As a result she fraudulently claimed £8,103.03 in housing benefit and £1,823.49 in council tax benefit.
On Friday (31/10/14) she was ordered to repay the overpayment and Derbyshire Dales District Council’s costs of £510.
After the hearing, a spokesman for the council said:
“This was a serious level of social security fraud over a long period of time.
“We rely on anonymous referrals from the general public to enable our staff to successfully investigate and bring those guilty of offences to justice.
“The district council adopts a zero tolerance policy to benefit fraud because it is not a victimless crime – benefit thieves take money intended for the most vulnerable in our society.”
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