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Action taken in October 2008

Here you will find details of the actions that we have taken against benefit fraud in Portsmouth for October 2008.

• Formal Cautions - 5
• Prosecutions - 5

Prosecution details

• A woman from Portsea was successfully prosecuted by Portsmouth City Council and the Department for Work and Pensions having pleaded guilty to 2 charges of dishonestly making a false representation in order to obtain benefit. She had failed to declare that she was living together with her husband in order to obtain state benefits. This is contrary to section 111A(a) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 and caused overpayments of Housing/Council Tax benefits amounting to £1491.86 and £269.64 respectively.
  The woman was sentenced to serve a Curfew Order for 6 weeks.

• A woman from Portsmouth was successfully prosecuted by Portsmouth City Council and the Department for Work and Pensions having pleaded guilty to 4 charges of knowingly failing to promptly notify both authorities of a change in her income. She had failed to declare that she had been working for a cleaning company whilst claiming benefit contrary section 112(1A) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992. Her action caused an overpayment of Housing/Council Tax benefit amounting to £2290.00 and £573.45 respectively. In addition, an overpayment of Income Support was caused totalling £2816.16.
  The woman was sentenced to a 12 month Conditional Discharge.

• A man from Southsea was successfully prosecuted by Portsmouth City Council and the Department for Work and Pensions having pleaded guilty to 3 charges of dishonestly failing to promptly notify both authorities of a change in his income. He had failed to declare earnings from paid employment contrary to section 111A(1A) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992.  The impact to the public purse was an overpayment of Housing/Council Tax benefit amounting to £2234.15 and £230.92 respectively and an overpayment of Incapacity Benefit totalling £2487.48. 
  He was sentenced to a 2 year Conditional Discharge.

• A woman from central Portsmouth was successfully prosecuted by Portsmouth City Council and the Department for Work and Pensions having pleaded guilty to 3 charges of knowingly failing to declare a change in her circumstances and 2 further charges of knowingly making a false representation. She had failed to declare that she was living together with her partner and continued to declare herself as single in order to obtain state benefit. This is contrary to sections 112(1A) and 112 (1) a, of the Social Security Administration Act 1992. This action caused an overpayment of Housing/Council Tax benefit amounting to £2985.50 and £527.09 respectively. In addition, there was an Income Support overpayment totalling £1636.37.
  She received a sentence of a 2 year Conditional Discharge.

• A woman from Wecock Farm, Waterlooville was successfully prosecuted by Portsmouth City Council and the Department for Work and Pensions having pleaded guilty to 3 charges of dishonestly failing to declare a change in her circumstances. She had failed to declare that she was living together with her partner and continued to declare herself as single in order to claim state benefit. This action is contrary to section 111A(1A) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992. The impact to the public purse was an overpayment of Housing Benefit totalling £3391.24 and an overpayment of Income Support totalling £4686.92.
  The woman was sentenced to a Community Order consisting of 100 hours unpaid work to be completed within 12 months.