Squad helps to uncover benefit frauds of £220k

Almost 70 benefits cheats who conned more than £220,000 from taxpayers have been caught by fraud investigators in South Staffordshire over the past year, it emerged today.

A dedicated fraud squad at the council uncovered and launched cases against 68 people, including 18 successful prosecutions, smashing their target of 50 over the financial year.

Council leader Brian Edwards, today welcomed the figures, which add up to £224,436.30 of overpaid benefits. He said: "Benefits are there to help those who really need them."

"At a time when we're all feeling the pinch it's frustrating that a small minority think they can get away with claiming something which they know they're not entitled to.

These latest figures show that we're serious about cracking down on benefit fraud," he added.

The figures include £124,686.53 of housing benefit fraudulently claimed, plus £34,977.91 of council tax benefit and £64,771.86 in benefits claimed from the Department of Work and Pensions, which includes job seekers' allowance and disability benefit.

Successes include Donna Marie Cotton, who was hauled before Stafford Crown Court last month after failing to tell South Staffordshire Council her husband had found a job, resulting in overpayments of more than £2,100. Cotton, aged 37, of Hilton Road, Featherstone, admitted the offence and was ordered to repay the money, along with a £530 fine, £325 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

In November, Darren Malone, aged 42, formerly of Blythe Gardens in Codsall, was found guilty of claiming for than £2,600 in housing and council tax benefit he was not entitled to.

Malone, now of Petton Hall, Shrewsbury was fined £150, ordered to repay the money and £252 costs, plus a £15 victim surcharge.