Single mother pleads guilty to benefit fraud
SINGLE mother-of-three Anne Maughan received a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to benefit fraud.
The 35-year-old, of Broadfield Road, Goldenhill, admitted failing to notify a change in her circumstances when claiming income support between August 2003 and August 2007. In that time she was overpaid £16,385.03.
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Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard yesterday Maughan, who has no previous convictions, failed to tell the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) she had capital in excess of the prescribed limits.
Iain Speed, representing the DWP, said Maughan had accounts with Britannia Building Society in which there was more than £36,000.
He said: "She was interviewed under caution in 2007. She said the money in the accounts belonged to her uncle who lived in Ireland and he used the money to buy houses and then horses."
The court heard the DWP accepted the cash belonged to her uncle.
Mr Speed said Maughan had started to repay the money at a rate of £3.75 a week.
Richard Littler, defending, said: "This is not the normal benefit fraud case.
"She was always entitled to income support. She did not disclose monies in her account that belonged to someone else.
"Those monies were always to be repaid to that individual. The only benefit she would gain would be the interest on that cash."
Judge Granville Styler accepted it was not the normal type of benefit fraud. He handed Maughan a five-month prison term, suspended for two years, with a residence requirement.
9 Comments
by j, stoke on trent
Friday, May 22 2009, 3:53PM
“Want a loan for 17k? can't afford to repay it? then why not cheat the benefit system, maximum repayments no more than £3.75 per week!
Don't delay do it today!”
by Anon, Meir
Thursday, May 21 2009, 7:11PM
“I'm going to do it, I'm going to swindel thousands off the state and when they catch up with me I'll offer to pay it back at £3.75 a week, the only problem is I have a well payed job that I like doing, so I'll leave it to the deadbeats.”
by TIm, JOKE ON TRENT
Thursday, May 21 2009, 5:50PM
“£3.75 a week to pay back?
Benefit fraud is worth doing.
You are more than likely to get away with it.
If you get caught, offer to pay back a few quid out of your benefits.”
by Anon, Meir
Thursday, May 21 2009, 2:45PM
“£3.75 a weak, she's haveing a joke, less then a fish super, Jesus Christ, whatever next.”
by Darren, Stone
Thursday, May 21 2009, 12:54PM
“This seems a funny outcome.
If she genuinely was holding the money on behalf of someone, which the court seemed to accept, I don't see that she's done too much wrong.
I accept we don't know all of the facts, but there doesn't seem to be any intent to defraud.”
by sam, sandyford
Thursday, May 21 2009, 12:16PM
“lets all cheer then.
held her hands up and started to pay it back at £3.75 a week.
how many years will she sit on income support to pay it off.
as a local yet again ashamed I would suggest selling the 15k
and 10k cars from your drive.
and pay it back.
but maybe they belong to relations as well?”
by Warren, Stoke on Trent
Thursday, May 21 2009, 11:12AM
“As bad as the MP expence clams outrage, she sould have not taken that money, she was not entiteled to it, just like some MPs. Sack the speaker, get the de-surlection underway, call an election, sorry, got carryed away, just make her pay it back within say 5 years or jail her old a** for a decade, eather will do.”
by Anthony, Mount Pleasant
Thursday, May 21 2009, 10:27AM
“David,
Whilst I don't agree with what this lady has done I can totally see your point on this one.
Its called "Legal Robbery" and our Councillers are more than guilty as charged with this one.
I wouldn't vote for a single one of them if my life depended on it!”
by david, staffs
Thursday, May 21 2009, 9:23AM
“benefit fraud they say the same people making the rules have committed benefit fraud on a far larger scale where is the mps prison sentence or the corrupt council . Double standards this woman you could say just got her claim wrong can she pay it back with a nudge and wink say how sorry she is a no more said guv . people swindle money at all levels of life but some at the top seem to be able to get off scott free”