A litany of light sentences

The (South Yorkshire) Star headlines this story "Benefit scam mum of eight is spared jail". They know their readers' expectations.

Ann Shaw, from Sheffield, continued to claim benefits from June 2002 to 2008 despite working at a childcare centre. She got £9,316. She was sentenced to 120 hours community service with £50 costs. The court was told she had "already" begun paying back the fraudulently claimed money at - £10 per week.

"Two women have been convicted of fiddling thousands of pounds from the benefits system - and they won't go to jail", reports the Manchester Evening News. Is there conceivably a message here? Not one that the judiciary wants to hear.

Sheila Smith was given a year's jail sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work after claiming more than £39,000 in income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit between March 2003 and February 2008. She had failed to tell the benefits office she was working.

Melanie Richards fraudulently obtained housing benefit, council tax benefit, income support and jobseeker's allowance totalling £10,829 between January 2006 and July 2008. She had also failed to tell the benefits office that she was working. She was given a 40-hour community punishment order with an `activity requirement' and ordered to pay costs of £150.

And a £35,000 benefit fraud doesn't bring prison....

Wendy Worral from Prescot fraudulently claimed £35,202 on the basis that she was a single parent. She was given a 36 week sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to observe a three month curfew between 8pm-6am and carry out 100 hours of unpaid work. She must also pay £300 costs.

Compare those sentences with these two, and wonder about the proportionality.

Deborah Wills, from Warrington, stole more than £7,000 in housing benefit, council tax benefit and income support between October 2007 and August 2008. She had been working as an escort but didn't tell the council or the DWP. She was given 120 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £150 in costs.

Finally in this dismal catalogue, Joanne Lawless, from Great Sankey, failed to declare she had a partner living with her for more than a year from June 2007. She claimed more than £3,000 in benefits and received a 60 hour community penalty plus being forced to pay the money back as well as a £200 fine.