Successful prosecutions of benefit fraud in Shropshire

A Shropshire woman was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison yesterday (Thursday 22 December 2011) after being found guilty of housing benefit and council tax benefit fraud. 

Jayne Louise Speed, of Birch Road, Ellesmere, pleaded guilty to housing benefit and council tax benefit offences at Shrewsbury Magistrates Court on 18 December 2011. 

Speed claimed housing benefit and council tax benefit but failed to tell Shropshire Council that her partner was residing and was in employment. This meant that between 1/4/2006 and 29/8/2010 she received £22,350.77 of housing benefit and £3,100.35 of council tax benefit that she was not entitled to. 

Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for public protection:

“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. 

“The vast majority of our residents work hard to pay for their local services, and so it is vital that we continue to expose fraud and wrongdoing of this kind to ensure that our resources are directed at the services most needed in Shropshire.”

Jayne Louise Speed was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on 22 December 2011. 

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.  

The case was investigated by Shropshire Council’s investigation team jointly with the Department for Work and Pensions, and the prosecution was brought by Department for Work and Pensions solicitors on behalf of Shropshire Council.