Benefits cheat from Sutton on Sea prosecuted

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That’s the message from East Lindsey District Council after another successful prosecution against a benefits cheat who claimed more than £10,000 he wasn’t entitled to.

At Skegness Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, October 6, 2010, Magistrates gave a suspended prison sentence to Michael Watson (46) of Coconut Grove, Miami Beach, Sutton on Sea.

Watson, who had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing, was prosecuted by East Lindsey District Council following a joint investigation with the Department of Works and Pensions. The Court heard that Watson was the owner of a chalet at Coconut Grove but that when he claimed benefit from another property he failed to declare it, despite being asked specific questions about what property he owned.

As a consequence of his actions, Watson obtained Income Support of £5,348 plus Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit of £5,047 that he was not entitled to, all of which he has to pay back. He was successfully prosecuted on two counts of dishonestly making false statements for the purposes of claiming benefits.

The Magistrate said that Watson had ‘committed a serious offence’ and imposed a custodial sentence of two months suspended for 12 months and a curfew from 7pm to 7am for four months. Watson was also ordered to pay £100 towards legal costs.

At the same hearing, Victoria Taylor (39) of Dawson Close, Mablethorpe was sentenced to 150 hours unpaid work for dishonestly making false statements and producing false documents in relation to the same chalet at Coconut Grove. The Court heard that Taylor, who had also pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing, had assisted her son in making a claim for Housing Benefits from the property, but declared the owner to be a fictitious landlord, providing a forged rent book in support of the claim. As a consequence of her actions, housing benefit of £1,403 was fraudulently obtained from the Council and this has to be paid back.

Portfolio Holder for Finance at East Lindsey District Council, Councillor Colin Davie, said: “Benefit fraud is not a victimless crime. People who commit that fraud are stealing money from Council Tax payers in the district. Fraudsters always have to pay that benefit back to us and we will catch up with them so they ought to realise by now that it's simply not worth the risk. They also face formal caution, prosecution, imprisonment or financial penalties. We will always ensure that the full extent of any offending is put before the court so that the maximum punishment can be imposed.

“We have a number of other investigations ongoing and, as can be seen from these recent cases, we have a close working relationship with investigators from the Department for Work and Pensions as well as many other organisations.

“I would urge anyone committing benefit fraud now, or thinking of doing so, to report their changes in circumstances. We will not tolerate this kind of behaviour so we will pursue all fraudsters. There really is no place to hide if you are committing benefit fraud.”

If you know of someone who is committing benefit fraud, please report it to our team of investigators on 0800 002 008.