A MATCHBOROUGH woman has been sentenced to 120 hours unpaid work after pleading guilty to dishonestly claiming Housing Benefit.
Johanne Thomas, of Eathorpe Close, was sentenced by Redditch Magistrates Court on Tuesday (November 10) after admitting she dishonestley claimed £6,548.50 between June 2013 and January 2015 by failing to declare that she was working and that her husband’s earnings had increased.
The investigation began as a result of a data match that matches electronic data within local authorities and HMRC to prevent and detect fraud.
The court heard that the 43-year-old, who was also handed a 12 month community order, would have been subject to a harsher sentence had she not pleaded guilty.
A spokesperson for Redditch Borough Council said: “This case again demonstrates the importance of declaring true circumstances when claiming benefit and reporting any changes as they take place. Failure to do so may lead to a criminal record and could have an impact on future claims.”
Visit www.redditchbc.gov.uk/fraud or call the Investigation Team on 01527 534011 to report a case of suspected benefit fraud
