Acting for a Local Authority in a benefit fraud case

Paul acted for a Local Authority, prosecuting a long-running benefit fraud case involving overpayment of over £50,000 of Income Support, Housing benefit and Council Tax benefit/support over three-year period. It was alleged that the Defendant had deliberately and repeatedly failed to declare that she was living with her partner (later her husband, and the father of her two children), the second of which was born during the period of the fraudulent claim.

When the matter was listed for trial, the Defendant finally pleaded guilty to all five counts of fraud. In light of her medical condition and the fact that she was now a single parent of two young children, she received a nine-month suspended sentence.