Llanelli Woman Wrongly Claiming Benefit.

A Llanelli woman has been prosecuted for wrongly claiming benefit by saying her husband was in a hospice when he was in fact working full-time.

Jenifer Ann Brand appeared before Carmarthen Magistrates Court for sentence after having previously pleaded guilty to three offences under Section 112 of the Social Security Administration Act of making a false statement to obtain benefit.

The court heard that in January 2013 Carmarthenshire County Council’s Housing Benefit Section received an application from 55-year-old Mrs Brand for Housing/Council Tax Benefit.

Mrs Brand declared she lived with her husband Michael Brand at their council tenancy in Dylan, Llanelli, where they had lived since 2008. She stated that her husband was off sick at the time from MONO Equipment, Swansea and wasn’t paid while on sick. She applied for backdating of her claim, stating that she was unable to apply earlier, due to her husband being in hospital. On the basis of the income declared, full Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit was awarded.

In January 2014 the Housing Benefit Section wrote to Mrs Brand asking for an update on the couple’s income and in February she said her husband had been in a hospice and was unable to sign on due to his condition. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction Scheme was reinstated based on Jenifer Brand’s income of Employment Support Allowance.

In October 2014 a data-matching exercise was undertaken by the Department for Work and Pensions. Housing Benefit and DWP data was matched with PAYE (Pay as You Earn) data from HMRC and the case was investigated.

Statutory powers were used to obtain details of Michael Brand’s employment / earnings from MONO. It was confirmed that he had in fact received full pay in the period November 2012 to October 2014. There weren’t any months were he failed to receive this salary.

Mrs Brand was interviewed under caution in November 2014 and made a full admission. She stated she had significant financial problems, including payday loans. She stated her husband didn’t know anything about the Housing Benefit claim; she had falsified his signature on the application form. In November 2012 they had money worries with Christmas looming. She had intended just claiming for a short period, but once she started, she couldn’t stop claiming. They had their previous home repossessed as they couldn’t afford the mortgage and she did not want that to happen again.

The court was told that based on the correct earnings details, benefit would not have been payable from the date of claim. Overpayments were made of £7,932.83 in total.

Mrs Brand was given a 24 Month conditional discharge in line with the recommendation of the probation officer, and ordered to pay £100 costs and a victimsurcharge of £15.

Executive board member for resources Cllr David Jenkins said: “We are keen that people claim any Housing Benefit that they are entitled to.

“But we are also determined to crack down on fraudulent claims. Benefit fraud takes money from the public purse that could otherwise be used for funding essential services.”
Members of the public can report any suspicion of benefit fraud in the county via the Carmarthenshire County Council Fraud Hotline 0800 – 801116 or via the council website.