Indeed - as Voyageur says, lax responses to benefits swindlers are part of the problem, but so also are misguided ideas of solidarity.simon wrote:No one likes a grass.
Benefit cheat
Re: Benefit cheat
Re: Benefit cheat
Having looked at the benefits hotline website, as suggested above by digime2007, there is a fair level of info needed which hopefully precludes tax payers' money being expended on investigations of frivolous or malicious accusations, given it's thought (by me at least) that the cost of pursuing investigations can seemingly be disproportionate to gain therefrom. Solidarity seems mostly to occur at the top of the food chain, at least with more success.
@ Tim Lund. I'm sorry you think I overreacted to the idea that people should have evidence and not just be able to point fingers. Although I guess pointing fingers will get people onto data bases nowadays.
Sure no-one likes cheats, and how do we know? Because it costs £millions to bring them to justice (or fail to). Justice in my view and like it or not is about cost of enforcing it, and not moral conscience at all now it seems, or several layers of society would have to take a long hard look in the mirror.
@ Tim Lund. I'm sorry you think I overreacted to the idea that people should have evidence and not just be able to point fingers. Although I guess pointing fingers will get people onto data bases nowadays.
Sure no-one likes cheats, and how do we know? Because it costs £millions to bring them to justice (or fail to). Justice in my view and like it or not is about cost of enforcing it, and not moral conscience at all now it seems, or several layers of society would have to take a long hard look in the mirror.
Re: Benefit cheat
I wondered how long it might be before someone posted something like that, in this thread.simon wrote:No one likes a grass.
Grow up a bit, simon.
Re: Benefit cheat
Mosy - we're on the same side. If you read what I wrote, I did not say that people should just be able to point fingers, if we take that to mean making allegations which cannot stand up in court or any other proper process. But this should not rule out what could still be useful intelligence - it's what's needed for intelligence led policing.mosy wrote: @ Tim Lund. I'm sorry you think I overreacted to the idea that people should have evidence and not just be able to point fingers. Although I guess pointing fingers will get people onto data bases nowadays.
Such intelligence will, nowadays, get onto databases, and society has adjusted - I'm not saying perfectly - to the particular problems this raises, e.g. by laws such as the Data Protection Act and the Freedom of Information Act. But the fundamental protection is - well, should be - courts and other tribunals not accepting uncorroborated, anonymous evidence. This is not something new - it's a principle that applied long before modern databases - but did not in those fascist regimes which led the world to WWII.
In many ways databases nowadays are more reliable than previous ways of holding information, when it could only be kept on cumbersome paper, or in less than objective human memory. Even as we use Forums such as these, we should remember that databases are our friends - on balance.
Re: Benefit cheat
LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM
Media Release: 20 October 2011
PR1228
Lewisham benefit cheat prosecuted
A benefit cheat received a suspended jail sentence following a prosecution by Lewisham Council.
Christine Antonio, 46, of Sheenewood, Sydenham, was prosecuted following an investigation by Lewisham Council. Her fraudulent claim came to light following a regular data-matching exercise. The exercise checks details of benefit claimants against interest bearing accounts.
On questioning, Ms Antonio admitted fraud over a 5 year period for failing to declare a savings accounts since 2006 and subsequently also failing to declare these savings accounts when renewing her Housing and Council Tax benefit claims during that period.
Antonio defrauded just over £19,000 in Housing and Council Tax benefit.
She was convicted at Greenwich Magistrates Court on 30 September 2011 on 4 charges of dishonesty and was sentenced to 8 weeks in prison per charge to run concurrently suspended for 12 months.
Magistrates also ordered that she attend a Structured Supervision Programme and imposed a 3 month curfew on her between the hours of 8.30pm and 6.00am.
Councillor Susan Wise, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, said: “Ms Antonio knew she had a duty to tell the Council about her savings accounts. By not informing us she obtained money that she was not entitled to. The money that she unlawfully claimed is money that could have gone to people who actually needed it.
“The Council has a team of dedicated investigators who will painstakingly follow all leads and secure evidence to enable a successful prosecution: we will not tolerate benefit cheats in our borough and will always prosecute those who attempt to defrauded the Council and cheat other taxpayers.”
Lewisham Council’s Anti-Fraud & Corruption Team investigates all allegations of fraud against Lewisham Council including fraudulent applications for housing and council tax benefit. Suspected fraud can be reported to the Council’s fraud hotline. Call 0800 085 0119 or email reportfraud@lewisham.gov.uk. All calls and emails are treated in the strictest confidence.
Media Release: 20 October 2011
PR1228
Lewisham benefit cheat prosecuted
A benefit cheat received a suspended jail sentence following a prosecution by Lewisham Council.
Christine Antonio, 46, of Sheenewood, Sydenham, was prosecuted following an investigation by Lewisham Council. Her fraudulent claim came to light following a regular data-matching exercise. The exercise checks details of benefit claimants against interest bearing accounts.
On questioning, Ms Antonio admitted fraud over a 5 year period for failing to declare a savings accounts since 2006 and subsequently also failing to declare these savings accounts when renewing her Housing and Council Tax benefit claims during that period.
Antonio defrauded just over £19,000 in Housing and Council Tax benefit.
She was convicted at Greenwich Magistrates Court on 30 September 2011 on 4 charges of dishonesty and was sentenced to 8 weeks in prison per charge to run concurrently suspended for 12 months.
Magistrates also ordered that she attend a Structured Supervision Programme and imposed a 3 month curfew on her between the hours of 8.30pm and 6.00am.
Councillor Susan Wise, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, said: “Ms Antonio knew she had a duty to tell the Council about her savings accounts. By not informing us she obtained money that she was not entitled to. The money that she unlawfully claimed is money that could have gone to people who actually needed it.
“The Council has a team of dedicated investigators who will painstakingly follow all leads and secure evidence to enable a successful prosecution: we will not tolerate benefit cheats in our borough and will always prosecute those who attempt to defrauded the Council and cheat other taxpayers.”
Lewisham Council’s Anti-Fraud & Corruption Team investigates all allegations of fraud against Lewisham Council including fraudulent applications for housing and council tax benefit. Suspected fraud can be reported to the Council’s fraud hotline. Call 0800 085 0119 or email reportfraud@lewisham.gov.uk. All calls and emails are treated in the strictest confidence.