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Leicestershire company director found guilty of £21,000 benefit fraud (12 April 2017)

Date: 12/04/2017
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Leicestershire company director found guilty of £21,000 benefit fraud

A Leicestershire-based company director has been found guilty of benefit fraud by Leicester Crown Court.

Hinckley and Bosworth Council in Leicestershire investigated a claim for housing and council tax benefit made by company director Adrian Young, 57, on behalf of his father.

Young – of White Wings, Quaker Close in the village of Fenny Drayton, Leicestershire – completed an application form for housing and council tax benefit for his father in May 2011.

However, in the application Young failed to declare he owned the property the claim referred to – and that he was his father’s landlord. He also failed to declare that he and his wife also lived in the property – a large, detached house, which he had bought for £710,000 some years earlier.

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council brought the prosecution against Young, having assessed Young’s claim on the basis of the information declared in the application form and as a result of which, an overpayment of £21,099.86 in council tax and housing benefit had been paid.

The council said that, had Young made the relevant declarations, his father would not have been entitled to any benefits.

Young denied the charges, claiming that his parents occupied an annexe of his house and that dyslexia had led to him providing the information in error.

When the case was brought before Leicester Crown Court on 23-24 March 2017, the jury convicted Young unanimously on two counts of benefit fraud.

He was sentenced to an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

In addition, he was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the community, as well as paying £12,000 in costs to Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council within the next three months.

Young has already repaid the £21,000 overpayment to the council.

In sentencing, the Judge accused Young of trying to “pull the wool over everyone’s eyes” by “taking advantage of the system” – adding that, during his evidence, he found Young “evasive” and “intent upon putting forward your circumstances as an excuse”.

Speaking after the case, Benefit Operational Manager at Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Storme Coop, said:

“This was a thorough investigation which proved that Mr Young lied to the council in order to falsely claim thousands of pounds in housing benefit and council tax benefit his family was not entitled to.

“Housing benefit and council tax benefit exists so that qualifying households can receive help when they need it – Young abused this scheme and as a result he now has a criminal record and a bill of over £12,000 to pay.”


Duncan Lewis Criminal Solicitors

Duncan Lewis Criminal Lawyers can advise at any stage of a charge involving benefit fraud, including charges relating to:

  • Bedroom Tax
  • Child Tax Credits
  • Council Tax Benefit
  • DLA
  • Housing Benefit
  • Income Support
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Pension Credits
  • PIP
  • Universal Credit
  • Working Tax Credits.

  • There are Duncan Lewis offices across England and Wales – and a Duncan Lewis criminal defence lawyer can attend interviews under caution with the DWP or local authority counter-fraud teams.

    Duncan Lewis is a leading provider of Legal Aid criminal defence services.

    For expert legal advice on all benefit fraud charges, call Duncan Lewis benefit fraud lawyers on 0333 772 0409

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