Between January 1995 and April 2008, Jacqueline Needham claimed she was living alone. But she was sharing a house with her husband, David. During that time she claimed £42,094 in income support and £3,709 in council tax benefit to which she was not entitled. A pretty easy way to get a very useful sum of money.
Since January last year, Needham has been paying back £150 a month towards the dishonestly claimed income support and has now paid off £2,000 of the £42,094 she owes. She has also paid off about £800 of the £3,709 council tax overpayments.
Judge Pugsley merely sentenced her to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years. He said the fact that she had owned up about the council tax overpayments, which led to the discovery of the income support fraud, had influenced his decision.
Needham is now expected to remortgage her home in Atlow Road, Chaddesden, to help pay off the money. But that's just paying us back. Where's the punishment? Where's the deterrent?
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