main content Benefit fraudsters jailed in £1.85 million scam

Two benefit fraudsters were sentenced on the 14th January 2008 at Blackfriars Crown Court bringing the total prosecuted to 140 since the inception of Bromley Council’s partnership with Greenwich Council in April 2002. The case that in total involved £1.85 million of benefit fraud over a ten year period and involved six councils across London and the South East was initially investigated by the partnership following suspicions raised by Bromley Council benefit officers. It was then referred by Greenwich investigators to the DWP’s organised fraud investigation team who brought the case to prosecution.

Council Leader Stephen Carr said “These prosecutions are particularly welcome in that it clearly demonstrates a number of local authorities and agencies such as the DWP working together to combat a sophisticated and organised fraud perpetrated by persons determined to systematically defraud large sums of public funds. The tough sentences imposed in this instance will act as a deterrent effect in the fight against fraud. I would like to particularly thank the investigating officers at Greenwich, the DWP and in other authorities in bringing this case to a successful outcome and also the alertness of the benefit officers at Bromley. .”

Jean Hutchinson 65, of Maida Vale, West London and her cousin Ralph Dale 63, of Halifax, West Yorkshire pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the DWP and a number of local authorities of benefits totalling £1.85 million over a ten year period between 1996 and 2006. The fraud involved the large scale use of other people’s identities to generate multiple claims on a number of addresses across boroughs including one at Churchfields Road in Beckenham that triggered off the major investigation. Two false claims totalling £12,828 were paid in respect of this address over a period March 2002 to June 2003 but other claims that were submitted were not processed as a result of the suspicion of the Bromley benefit officers and the subsequent investigation by Greenwich Council.

Hutchinson was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and Dale to 4 years imprisonment. Judge Deva Pillay said their crimes allowed them to accrue what can only be described as extraordinary amounts of money. She said that it equated to a staggering £180,000 per annum.

The DWP are in the process of recovering the fraudsters’ assets.

ENDS


Notes to editors: 
Anyone with information about a suspected benefit fraud should contact (in strict confidence) the Fraud Hotline on 0800 169 6975 

Bromley Council works in partnership with Greenwich Council’s Corporate Anti-Fraud Team. 

For media enquiries, please contact Luis Remedios, Audit Manager, on 020 8313 4886 or email luis.remedios@bromley.gov.uk