Jail for benefit thief after slow investigation

Benefit thief Susan Nuttall has been jailed after she was paid nearly £44,000 she was not eligible for.

The 49-year-old grandmother even went on holiday to Tenerife while claiming handouts from the state.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Nuttall legitimately claimed income support and housing and council tax benefit from 1995 on the basis she was a lone parent and there was no income coming into the household.

But in 2008 Stoke-on-Trent City Council received information that she was living with Michael Kerrigan.

Ben Mills, prosecuting for the DWP, told the court that Mr Kerrigan used Nuttall's home address as his address and indicated to his employers that she was his next of kin.

And his wages were paid into a joint back account the couple shared.

"There was no doubt they were living as husband and wife," said Mr Mills.

Investigators also discovered that the pair went on holiday to Tenerife in September 2008.

Mr Mills added that in December 2005 Nuttall informed the council her son had moved out.

"But she kept quiet her husband was living there," said Mr Mills.

Nuttall was interviewed in September 2008.

But despite the overwhelming evidence against her she told the investigators lies.

In February 2009 she wrote a small statement to the council saying Mr Kerrigan was then staying at her house and she was not entitled to benefits.

Nuttall, who was of previous good character, pleaded guilty to two charges of benefit fraud.

The court was told Nuttall was overpaid nearly £44,000 between October 2005 and February 2009.

Catherine O'Reilly, mitigating, said Nuttall has started to repay the money.

She said the defendant is the main carer for her son who has mental health difficulties. And her daughter's three children spend a considerable amount of time at her home because her daughter has an alcohol addiction.

Miss O'Reilly asked Judge Simon Tonking to consider suspending any prison sentence.

But the judge said it was not a case where suspending the sentence was appropriate and he jailed Nuttall for four months.

Judge Tonking told the defendant: "I accept your claims for income support and housing and council tax benefit began legitimately and honestly. You were then separated and were a single parent.

"But the time came in 2005 when that was not the situation.

You were living with Mr Kerrigan and you failed to notify the authorities that that was so.

"But your financial affairs were run, including the taking of a holiday, together.

"I am in no doubt at all that you knew exactly the score and that you had to report the fact that you were living with him."

Judge Tonking added: "This was deliberate and brazen fraud against the DWP which is an offence committed against the taxpayer, which means it is the public.

"Over three-and-a-half years you obtained benefits of nearly £44,000 to which you were not entitled at all or in part.

"It is so serious neither a fine of a community sentence can be justified."

Nuttall will serve up to half the sentence in jail before she is released on licence.