Pair jailed over fiddle of £78,000

A couple who claimed £78,000 in benefits while failing to declare they were married were today starting prison terms.

They will also face confiscation proceedings so that Walsall Council can claw back as much of the money as possible.

Between them, Angela Dennis and Mohammed Mughal falsely claimed income support, housing and council tax benefit and jobseekers allowance over a six-year period. Wolverhampton Crown Court was told yesterday that in total, Dennis and Mughal pocketed £78,045.

Dennis, aged 47, was overpaid £36,951 in income support, £6,578 in council tax benefit and £881 jobseekers allowance.

The court was told that Mughal, 48, was overpaid £33,633 in housing benefit.

Miss Siobhon Collins, prosecuting, said: "They were living together as husband and wife."

The court was told that neither defendant had previous convictions.

Between them, they were found guilty of seven charges of failing to notify a change in circumstances and were jailed for 20 weeks each.

Mr Kevin Saunders, who represented the two defendants, said Dennis, of Myatt Avenue, Aldridge, was "vulnerable" and had lived a difficult life, having spent a period of time homeless.

"She is petrified at the thought of a custodial sentence," he added.

He described Mughal, of Berryfield, Aldridge, as a "hard working" man and added that the impact of a prison term would result in him losing his job as a refrigeration engineer.

Judge Michael Dudley said that only a prison term could follow for committing such offences.

He added: "Benefit fraud is always a serious matter because it affects every member of the community that pays their taxes, and it is a matter that causes upset to those who do pay their way that people cheat the system."