Unpaid work for £13k benefit theft

Spelthorne Council has recently secured the conviction of a Shepperton woman for fraudulently claiming Housing and Council Tax benefit from the Council and Jobseekers Allowance from the DWP.

Miss Sonya Strutt, aged 43 of Shepperton pleaded guilty to 11 charges of benefit fraud under the Social Security Administration Act 1992. On 15 April 2010, Staines Magistrates’ Court sentenced Miss Strutt to a 12 month Community Order under which she will be required to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work in the community. She now has a criminal record and was also ordered to pay £382, the costs of the prosecution, to the Council.

Miss Strutt failed to notify both the Council and the DWP that she had a second job and later continued in this job whilst claiming to be unemployed. She dishonestly claimed a total of £13,833 in benefits to which she was not entitled and has now made arrangements to repay this amount by way of instalments.