Yet the procedures are clunky and slow. Here's an example of a small fraud. There is no hope of stemming mass market crime with these time consuming procedures.
A Sevenoaks man who illegally claimed more than £2,000 in benefit has been prosecuted.
Scott Coulson, 27, of Hillingdon Rise, pleaded guilty at Sevenoaks Magistrates' Court, to falsely obtaining Social Security Benefit by failing to declare he had re-started full-time paid employment.
His prosecution follows an investigation after Sevenoaks District Council's housing benefit department wrote to Coulson in October 2008 informing him an officer would visit to review his claims for housing and council tax benefit.
Coulson was receiving benefit based on being off work and receiving sick pay.
He was not at home for the first visit and just before a proposed second visit, he wrote to the benefit department to withdraw his benefit claim.
The matter was immediately referred to the district council's fraud and control team for investigation because of the sudden withdrawal.
An investigation found Coulson had left the company paying his sick pay in April 2008 and commenced full-time work with another company in June 2008 but had not informed the benefits department of the change.
As a result, Coulson illegally claimed £1,778.70 in housing benefit and £492.39 in council tax benefit.
At court, Coulson was ordered to pay a £300 fine, costs of £154.14 and a victim surcharge of £15.
The district council is actively seeking the repayment of the debt, and Coulson is expected repay it all.
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