A Burry Port woman has been sentenced to community punishment for wrongly claiming more than £3,000 in housing benefit and council tax benefit.
Angela Margaret Stanlake appeared before Ammanford Magistrates Court yesterday for sentencing, having pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to making a false statement and failing to declare changes in circumstances. The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council.
The court was told that an investigation was commenced as a result of the National Fraud Initiative data-matching exercise. Details of employment were obtained from Inland Revenue and statutory powers were used to obtain details of employment.
It emerged that 55-year-old Stanlake had claimed for housing and council tax benefit but had failed to declare that she was employed as a cleaner at a surgery in Burry Port. She also failed to mention that her husband had worked for two taxi firms.
As a result of the investigation, overpayments of £2,184.69 housing benefit and £907.21 council tax benefit were identified.
Stanlake, of Burrows Terrace, Burry Port, was sentenced to a 60 hours community punishment order, and ordered to pay £100 costs.
This was Carmarthenshire County Council’s 13th Housing Benefit fraud prosecution in this financial year.
Council executive board member for resources Cllr Wyn Evans said: “The Council is anxious that as many people as possible claim the housing and council tax benefit that they are rightfully entitled to.
“However, we are also determined to crack down on fraudulent claims that are a drain on the public purse, taking money that could otherwise be used for funding essential services. This offence is taking money from every council tax payer.”
Members of the public can report any suspicions of benefit fraud in the county via the Carmarthenshire County Council Fraud Hotline 0800 – 801116 or via the Council website.
