Benefits cheat ‘had money in the bank’
Jan 19 2012
Categories: Data Fraud And Error
Data profiling experts who were able to catch a benefits cheat in Leeds soon discovered he had a significant sum of money in the bank, despite claiming allowances each month.
James Boyce, 60, was sitting on an account worth £90,000, but still claimed more than £20,000 in benefits, the Yorkshire Post reported.
He has now pleaded guilty to wrongly taking £17,500 in housing benefit and £5,000 in council tax benefit over an eight-year period from 2003.
Appearing at Leeds Magistrates' Court, Boyce was sentenced to a four-month curfew order, meaning he must remain at home between 19:00 GMT and 07:00 GMT.
Magistrates admitted that he only avoided a prison sentence by pleading guilty early, describing his actions as a very serious crime.
Councillor David Brown, cabinet member with responsibility for performance and capacity at Cheshire East Council, told the Crewe Guardian recently that his local authority will continue to do all it can to crack down on benefits cheats.
