Benefit thief jailed

A Cliftonville man has been jailed for nine months, after pleading guilty to fraudulently claiming nearly £70,000 in benefits.

Alan Marshall (65) was claiming Housing Benefit and Pension Credits, based on the fact that he and his wife were renting a room at Warwick Road and that they had a low income. A joint investigation with the Department for Work and Pensions discovered in fact Mr. Marshall was living at the property rent free as it was owned by his wife’s brother. Mr. Marshall then went on to purchase the entire property from his brother-in-law at a reduced price and continued to claim for Housing Benefit even though he now owned the house himself.

At the same time, Mr. Marshall was falsely claiming Pension Credits from the Department for Work and Pensions, as he had failed to declare that he received a private pension from 20 years service in the RAF and that his wife was employed at the QEQM Hospital in Margate.

As a result of the joint investigation, Alan Marshall was found to have received £37,437.10 in Housing Benefit and £31,215.08 in Pension Credit that he was not entitled to.

In sentencing the defendant to nine months in prison, Judge Simon James stated that Mr. Marshall had experienced a dramatic fall from grace for a retired man who could previously be said to have been of good character.

Judge James continued by adding that “in these times of economic hardship for all, it is hard to feel sympathy for someone who has obtained in excess of £68,000 through deliberate and blatant lies.” He added that the money allowed Mr Marshall and his wife a more comfortable standard of life and that “you would not expect to escape prison for walking into a neighbour’s house and stealing £68,000 and so a clear message must be sent as a deterrent.”

Cllr. Michelle Fenner, Cabinet Member for Business Services, said: “I agree wholeheartedly with the judge’s comments in this case. His comparison of walking into a neighbour’s house and stealing this amount of money helps to put benefit fraud into perspective. It’s not a victimless crime. When someone claims benefits fraudulently, they’re stealing from every single one of us that pays Council Tax.” The council is in the process of getting a charging order against the property, so that the Housing Benefit that was fraudulently claimed will be recovered.