Successful prosecutions of benefit fraud

A Shropshire man pleaded guilty to housing benefit and council tax benefit offences at Shrewsbury Magistrates Court on Friday 2 December 2011. 

Karl Taylor of Barber Close, Oswestry, claimed housing benefit and council tax benefit but failed to tell Shropshire Council that he had a change in income. This meant that, between 1 February 2010 and 6 March 2011, he received £4,423.50 housing benefit and £1,304.95 council tax benefit that he was not entitled to. 

The court sentenced him to 150 hours unpaid work, and ordered him to pay £200 costs to Shropshire Council. 

Councillor Keith Barrow, Leader of Shropshire Council, said:

“The council takes benefit fraud very seriously and will take appropriate action against those who try and defraud the benefits system, which exists to help those in need.

“We hope this sentence sends out a warning to anyone who is cheating the system.”

Shropshire Council encourages people to contact the Fraud Hotline on 0345 678 9033 or the National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 328 6340, if they have any suspicions about benefit fraud being committed. 

Both cases were investigated by Shropshire Council’s investigation team and the prosecution was brought by Shropshire Council.