No excuses for benefit fraud, District Council warns

Date:  14 November 2006

Residents convicted of benefit fraud in Three Rivers could face an average of nine months in jail or a hefty fine.  That's the message from the District Council, as it reminds residents that benefit fraud is a crime and there are no excuses.

A total of seventeen residents have been given a jail sentence for benefit fraud following a Council investigation, with a total of thirteen years in prison.  Many others have received substantial fines, community rehabilitation orders, and other punishments.  The Council has carried out over three hundred investigations into suspected benefit fraud in the last year alone.

Councillor Richard Struck, Resources portfolio holder, says:

"We hope that this really brings home to our residents how seriously we take benefit fraud.  We know that sometimes people do have genuine financial difficulties, but we would strongly encourage them to talk to us or to an organisation like Citizens Advice Bureau, to try to find a solution rather than resorting to committing a criminal offence. 

"Residents who do resort to benefit fraud will find that the Council will have no hesitation in taking all steps necessary to catch and punish them, and they could find themselves with a criminal record and even a jail sentence."
 
Residents who suspect that someone they know may be committing benefit fraud can report it to the Council in complete confidence.  Call the confidential fraud hotline 01923 727190, email fraud@threerivers.gov.uk, or complete a Benefit Fraud Referral Form.