Benefit cheat pays the price

At Southend Magistrates Court on Wednesday 12th October, Raymond Shutts, 57, of St. Luke's Road, Southend, admitted failing to report promptly that his circumstances had changed.  

This resulted in him wrongly receiving £8,068.36 worth of benefits over a period of four years and 11 months.  

He was given an 18-month conditional discharge, ordered to pay £50 in costs, and must also repay the overpayment too  

Mr Shutts was given Housing and Council Tax benefit from Southend-on-Sea Borough Council after advising the authority that he was on Incapacity Benefit.  

However, he failed to tell the Council that he had subsequently received a lump sum of money ranging between £14,000 and £18,000.  

As a result he was overpaid £6,208.57 Housing Benefit and £1,859.79 Council Tax Benefit that he was not entitled to.  

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Executive Councillor for Corporate Support Services, Councillor Andrew Moring said: "We are committed to paying benefits to those who are entitled to it, but we also have a duty to protect the public purse and take action against people committing benefit fraud.

"It is an offence to commit benefit fraud and the repayment of benefit is not the only action that the Council may take."  

If anyone has suspicions over a person's entitlement to benefit, they can call the Corporate Fraud Investigation Team on 01702 215254, or email counterfraud@southend.gov.uk.

All information received is treated in the strictest confidence.