Benefit fraud conviction

A Redditch woman has been sentenced to a five-month community order and curfew by magistrates after pleading guilty to benefit fraud.

Jodie Browning, age 33 of Batchley was sentenced by Redditch Magistrates on January 17, 2012, for continuing to claim Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit by failing to declare that she had started work and for allowing her husband to claim Incapacity Benefit incorrectly by hiding the fact that she was working from him.

The investigation was started after Redditch Borough Council received information to suggest that the claim was incorrectly in payment.  The Department for Work and Pensions were invited to join the investigation and overpayments totalling £12,797.92 were established for the period June 2006 to May 2011 after the full extent of the offences were uncovered.

After hearing full details of the case, the Magistrates said that because of the substantial sums of money involved they were considering a high level community order with an unpaid work requirement of at least twelve months.  However after taking details of a pre-sentence report into consideration she was sentenced to a five month community order to include a curfew. They explained that this decision had taken account of her early guilty plea and that she works full time as the main breadwinner for the family.

The curfew is between the hours of 7pm to 6am, seven days a week. Mrs Browning was also ordered to pay £100 towards the prosecution costs. The overpaid benefits are being recovered by the Council and Department for Work and Pensions through their own methods.

Cllr Michael Braley, Redditch Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Corporate Management, said: “This case shows the consequences of benefit fraud and the impact it can have upon the lives of those convicted. Dishonestly claiming benefits is a very serious matter.”

DWP Minister for Welfare Reform, Lord Freud, said: "Benefit thieves are costing the taxpayer almost £1billion per year. This money is intended to help those most in need not line the pockets of criminals. We will continue to tackle this problem at the frontline but also at the root by reforming the benefits system to make it less open to abuse."

All allegations of fraud are looked into and the reporting of all suspicions is welcomed. This can be done by ringing the Investigation Team during office hours on 01527 534011 or by emailing the information to benefitsfraud@redditchbc.gov.uk.