Richard Lawrence, from St Leonards, claimed housing and council tax benefit until June 2008 but failed to tell assessors he had started a job two months earlier - a fact which came to light through a computer data match.
He was found guilty in his absence on Friday of receiving £480 in housing benefit and £145 in council tax benefit he was not entitled to.
Magistrates agreed he should pay back the full amount of £625 - plus a fine of £350 and costs of £243.
That's a penalty of 95%, which is more like it. But it's not applied proportionately to larger benefit frauds.
Benefit fraudsters should also have to repay twice the amount and should not be eligible for further benefits – including tax credits - until they have.
0 comments:
Post a Comment