Benefit fraud team in Spain is recovering a record £5m of taxpayers’ money
#1
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Benefit fraud team in Spain is recovering a record £5m of taxpayers’ money
#2
Re: Benefit fraud team in Spain is recovering a record £5m of taxpayers’ money
[QUOTE=t2uds;11325004]This months top 3 jailed benefit fraudsters in Spain.
- Janice Purdie, 62, from Hove, this month pleaded guilty to over £130,000 of benefit fraud and received a 12-month prison sentence. She failed to tell DWP that she owned a property in Spain and had numerous different bank accounts whilst she was fraudulently claiming Income Support, Pension Credit, Disability Living Allowance, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit over a nine-year period.
- Jimmy Rickner, 72, from Exeter, was this month jailed for six months for fraudulently claiming almost £50,000 of disability benefits and Pension Credit over eight years, when in fact he was living with his partner in one of two properties he owned in Spain.
- Thomas Wadham, 73, of Aylesbury, falsely claimed £37,000 of Housing Benefit and Pension Credit between 2007 and 2010 while he was living in Spain. He was sentenced to six months in jail in January and ordered to pay back all the money.
Well done for finding those benefit cheats but do they pay any of the money back to the state?
It is such a pity that pensioners feel the need to cheat the system because being a non resident means no Pension Credit, Savings Credit and the other benefits of living in the UK.
- Janice Purdie, 62, from Hove, this month pleaded guilty to over £130,000 of benefit fraud and received a 12-month prison sentence. She failed to tell DWP that she owned a property in Spain and had numerous different bank accounts whilst she was fraudulently claiming Income Support, Pension Credit, Disability Living Allowance, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit over a nine-year period.
- Jimmy Rickner, 72, from Exeter, was this month jailed for six months for fraudulently claiming almost £50,000 of disability benefits and Pension Credit over eight years, when in fact he was living with his partner in one of two properties he owned in Spain.
- Thomas Wadham, 73, of Aylesbury, falsely claimed £37,000 of Housing Benefit and Pension Credit between 2007 and 2010 while he was living in Spain. He was sentenced to six months in jail in January and ordered to pay back all the money.
Well done for finding those benefit cheats but do they pay any of the money back to the state?
It is such a pity that pensioners feel the need to cheat the system because being a non resident means no Pension Credit, Savings Credit and the other benefits of living in the UK.
#3
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Re: Benefit fraud team in Spain is recovering a record £5m of taxpayers’ money
When you leave the UK you also leave many of the benefits of residing in the UK .
Loss of some benfits s not a justifiable excuse to claim others.
The UK tabloids have been having a field day recently with stories and pictures of benefits claimants living it up in the sun , on holiday or otherwise.
Loss of some benfits s not a justifiable excuse to claim others.
The UK tabloids have been having a field day recently with stories and pictures of benefits claimants living it up in the sun , on holiday or otherwise.
#4
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Re: Benefit fraud team in Spain is recovering a record £5m of taxpayers’ money
Some Benefits (mainly for sickness and disablity if you continue to meet the criteria) and State Pension are payable if you live in the EU. Means-tested Benefits such as Pension Credit, Income Support and Housing Benefit are not.
Some people on Sickness Benefit will NOT continue to meet the criteria and these are the ones claiming fraudulently.
Some people on Sickness Benefit will NOT continue to meet the criteria and these are the ones claiming fraudulently.
#5
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Re: Benefit fraud team in Spain is recovering a record £5m of taxpayers’ money
If Britain isn't good enough to live in .... why expect benefits to travel to your new home!!
#6
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Re: Benefit fraud team in Spain is recovering a record £5m of taxpayers’ money
I just wonder how much the "team" cost to put in place to catch these fraudsters Bureaucracy rarely comes cheap.I'd guess a tad over £5million.How it can be grabbed back can make an interesting read.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...yer-money.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...yer-money.html
Last edited by davidinspain; Jul 5th 2014 at 1:28 pm.
#7
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Re: Benefit fraud team in Spain is recovering a record £5m of taxpayers’ money
I just wonder how much the "team" cost to put in place to catch these fraudsters Bureaucracy rarely comes cheap.I'd guess a tad over £5million.How it can be grabbed back can make an interesting read.
Cleo Embley to pay back £94k benefit fraud with taxpayer money | Mail Online
Cleo Embley to pay back £94k benefit fraud with taxpayer money | Mail Online
#8
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Re: Benefit fraud team in Spain is recovering a record £5m of taxpayers’ money
I just wonder how much the "team" cost to put in place to catch these fraudsters Bureaucracy rarely comes cheap.I'd guess a tad over £5million.How it can be grabbed back can make an interesting read.
Cleo Embley to pay back £94k benefit fraud with taxpayer money | Mail Online
Cleo Embley to pay back £94k benefit fraud with taxpayer money | Mail Online
the people investigating will be employees so their salaries will be paid whether they are in Magaluf or Runcorn writing parking tickets. They haven't been employed for a special one off job.
so their only cost to the public purse would be expenses
The other thing is that such exercises enforce to others that there is no hiding place, if you are defrauding benefits then you will be found eventually. Just it takes alot of time and energy to do so.
But it is surprising how many are caught after falling out with their partner who tips the Benefits office the wink.
`
#9
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Re: Benefit fraud team in Spain is recovering a record £5m of taxpayers’ money
I agree that lawbreakers should be found and punished.Just don't think a task force is , a simple bit of software that scanned everybody applying for housing benefit or Pension Credit with Spanish SIP card holders/Padron/NIE/Driving license would root most out at a budget price.I also agree that ex partners disgruntled ex friends and neighbors will account for a few.But just to change the subject slightly it may be cheaper all together if all benefits were payable in all EU countries why ESA is contributions based and non contributions based and Pension credit is means tested,when soon all pensions will be the same irrespective of monies paid in is quite odd
#10
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Re: Benefit fraud team in Spain is recovering a record £5m of taxpayers’ money
I don’t know about the rest of it and I’m not a grass, and I don’t know just how immoral this is supposed to be, but I know lots of people who don’t report a change in their partner’s circumstances, whether it’s a death or a win on the lottery.
Can you moralise about it? We’re spending 7 billion on an obsolete aircraft carrier, even more on the secret Trident submarines, does some Wally cheating the system out of a few pounds make any difference?
Of course it’s annoying when some extreme example of a benefit cheat hits the news, and my own view is that if they’re foreigners, they should immediately be deported.
Can you moralise about it? We’re spending 7 billion on an obsolete aircraft carrier, even more on the secret Trident submarines, does some Wally cheating the system out of a few pounds make any difference?
Of course it’s annoying when some extreme example of a benefit cheat hits the news, and my own view is that if they’re foreigners, they should immediately be deported.
#11
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Re: Benefit fraud team in Spain is recovering a record £5m of taxpayers’ money
I don’t know about the rest of it and I’m not a grass, and I don’t know just how immoral this is supposed to be, but I know lots of people who don’t report a change in their partner’s circumstances, whether it’s a death or a win on the lottery.
Can you moralise about it? We’re spending 7 billion on an obsolete aircraft carrier, even more on the secret Trident submarines, does some Wally cheating the system out of a few pounds make any difference?
Of course it’s annoying when some extreme example of a benefit cheat hits the news, and my own view is that if they’re foreigners, they should immediately be deported.
Can you moralise about it? We’re spending 7 billion on an obsolete aircraft carrier, even more on the secret Trident submarines, does some Wally cheating the system out of a few pounds make any difference?
Of course it’s annoying when some extreme example of a benefit cheat hits the news, and my own view is that if they’re foreigners, they should immediately be deported.
#12
Re: Benefit fraud team in Spain is recovering a record £5m of taxpayers’ money
Rosemary
#13
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Re: Benefit fraud team in Spain is recovering a record £5m of taxpayers’ money
Well, that’s about the strength of it. I worked my bollocks off when I was a kid. There was no future in Scotland despite Highers galore.
I took the Queen’s shilling, bastardised my beliefs, and earned good money because I didn’t give a ****. I’ve got a couple of medals on the shelf behind me - it’s bollocks, total bollocks.
I took the Queen’s shilling, bastardised my beliefs, and earned good money because I didn’t give a ****. I’ve got a couple of medals on the shelf behind me - it’s bollocks, total bollocks.
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#15
Re: Benefit fraud team in Spain is recovering a record £5m of taxpayers’ money
That would also include criminals who are employed in criminal activity whilst claiming unemployment benefits.