A Hextable benefit cheat who was found guilty of a £43,000 benefit scam has been ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and handed a suspended prison sentence by Maidstone Crown Court.
Forty-nine year old Kim Pick pleaded guilty to four charges relating to dishonestly claiming benefits. The scam came to light after a routine investigation, carried out jointly by Sevenoaks District Council and the DWP, which showed an unusual increase in interest on her bank statements.
When interviewed Mrs Pick stated that she had thought that she did not have to declare that she inherited a substantial sum of money because it was supposed to be passed onto her children. Mrs Pick failed to provide any evidence that this was the case, and her bank statements showed that the money was held in accounts in her name.
As a result of her actions Mrs Pick received £24,322.16 in Income Support, £15,621.65 in Housing Benefit and £3,691.42 in Council Tax Benefit which she was not entitled to, an amount totalling £43,635.
At Court, Mrs Pick was ordered to do 180 hours of community punishment and was given a two year suspended prison sentence. If Mrs Pick appears before the court again in the next two years and is found guilty of a crime, she will serve 24 weeks in prison for this offence.
Mrs Pick has paid back all the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit and the Department for Work and Pensions is seeking the repayment of the Social Security benefits.
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