Pleads guilty but claims he was confused

A fraudulent benefits claimer who raked in more than £6,000 by pretending he was a single parent has escaped a jail term, the report from Gloucestershire starts - but this level of benefit fraud was never an offence which would have led to a prison sentence, as our regular readers know well.


Andrejs Jahimovics admitted two charges of making false claims to get council tax and housing benefit from Gloucester City Council. He also admitted false accounting and failing to disclose information about himself to the DWP.

Judge William Hart sentenced him to a 12 months community order and ordered him to do 150 hours of unpaid work. He also ordered him to repay the full £6,320 he had illegally claimed from the State.

Prosecutor Nigel Fryer said Jahimovics had submitted a claim for housing benefit and council tax benefit in August 2007, saying he had a dependant child and was renting a house in Barnwood Road. But the child was being cared for by her mother and Jahimovics was not in any way responsible for the child or the rent, Mr Fryer said.

When under investigation Jahimovics produced forged letters from the landlady of the house and a forged rent schedule.

Giles Nelson, defending, said: “He has been married eight years. We don’t accept he has no relationship with the child as far as maintenance is concerned. They live together and she effectively regards him as her father.” Of course - hence the forgeries.

Judge Hart said “I accept there was confusion in your mind to some extent as to precisely the process you were taking but largely these offences are the result of your dishonesty. You have repented of that dishonesty by your guilty pleas and your efforts to work and pay back the money.” Riiight