Judge says £50k benefit fraud was "out of character"!

A couple from Barry claimed nearly £50,000 in benefits by pretending one was the other one's landlord, a court heard. (h/t Dave)

Lace Eileen Perrett, 56, claimed both Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Housing Benefit between March 2013 and November 2017 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and her local authority, the Vale of Glamorgan Council .

But just months after declaring she lived on her own and was unable to work her partner, Leon Ronald Harris, 58, was living with her.

Prosecutor Thomas Roberts told Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday that from August 2013: "She was maintaining a common household with Harris. That change in circumstance was never reported."

On a form dated January 30, 2017, both Perrett and Harris signed to claim benefits saying that Harris was the landlord and Perrett was the tenant. In total the pair received in £47,111 between August 2013 and November 2017 in benefits they were not entitled to.

During those four years the pair also went on three holidays together, enjoying trips to Bulgaria, Kos, and Spain. But the couple were investigated after an anonymous online tip was reported to the DWP.

Perrett was charged with two counts of dishonestly failing to notify a change in circumstance of entitlement to social security benefit and one count of dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit.

Harris was charged with one count of dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit after the declaration on the form in January 2017.

Both pleaded guilty to the charges at Cardiff Magistrates Court on May 14 this year.

In mitigation Perrett, through her representative Sophie Hill, said she suffered with several medical conditions including diabetes, COPD, asthma, and a degenerative spinal condition.

Harris, who represented himself, said: "I regret it and I'll never do anything like this again. I'm really sorry."

The court heard how the pair were now repaying the overpayment in monthly instalments and were both previously of good character. The couple were both handed 12-month prison sentences suspended for 20 months.

Perrett was also ordered to undertake 20 sessions of rehabilitation activities and Harris was ordered to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Nicola Jones said when handing down her sentence: "This is entirely out of character for both of you and I accept you both have genuine remorse. I doubt very much either of you will commit an offence again."

Source with pictures