Almost £150,000 has been recovered from Westminster benefit cheats and 11 people were prosecuted for trying to claim too much money in the last year, according to recent figures.
Hundreds of investigations have been carried out into suspected fraudsters across the borough by Westminster Council.
Four people were successfully prosecuted for housing benefit fraud between April and July this year, and the council's fraud team is now working to recover £130,000 in overpayments.
These include a former council tenant in Nutbourne Street, Queen's Park, who was found guilty of one count of benefit fraud, which resulted in an overpayment of £6,490.
She was sentenced to six months in prison and was evicted from her home after she was found to be illegally subletting.
A further three claimants, also found guilty of benefit fraud, are awaiting sentence by the courts.
Further investigations into parking fraud have resulted in six resident permits or disabled parking badges being recovered, 52 permits stopped from being renewed and three caution letters sent to residents.
A further eight cases have been referred to the council's legal team for prosecution.
1 comments:
i worked in the benefits industry for 15 years. I feel I have the solution to the whole issue:-
leave binbags full of fivers on street corners every monday morning, and let them sort themselves out. It will be no less equitable and open to fraud than the current system, and it will be a whole lot cheaper.
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