£100,000 In Illegal Benefit Claims

[fender62]

how was this not picked up sooner, and why does she not have to give the money back..no fines either...this sends a signal, nothing will really happen, no prison, no return of public funds.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8650483/Mother-eight-avoids-jail-taking-nearly-100-000-illegal-benefit-claims.html

[fender62]

fiction factory, //I wonder if there was someone on the inside at DWP helping her// exactly, probably relatives or trop stick together..?
and if that happens in areas with such communities, than it needs investigating and sackings.

[fender62]

and just to add, if it's prolific across the uk, then we have a problem.

[THECORBYLOON]

FENDER, a lot of "ifs" in those two posts, your imagination is running away with you.

[ToraToraTora]

I've just worked it out? Allen is Tony B Liar! - Gotta hand it to you me old china! You are the guvnor!

[Deskdiary]

Allen - surely, objectively, you must accept that what this woman did is out and out theft of UK taxpayers money, don't you?

Surely you must also accept she knew exactly what she was doing.

Stealing (because that is exactly what she did) £100k warrants a custodial, doesn't it?

If we're prepared to jail people for non-payment of £5k of council tax, then knowingly stealing £100k is definitely a period in chokey.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/apr/12/woman-jailed-council-tax-bill-she-could-not-pay

If people are prepared to accept she didn't know what she was doing...I have some magic beans I'm willing to sell to you.

[Mamyalynne]

Not a good case to choose as an illustration, that case was judged to be an error and was ended after she served 40 days as the proper checks hadn't been made and Melanie Woodcock is not the only one who this has happened to as referred to in your link.

[THECORBYLOON]

From your link,
'Woolcock was released from prison after 40 days following an appeal. A judge found magistrates had failed to conduct a proper inquiry into her means before sentencing. A subsequent high court judgment ruled magistrates were making mistakes and wrongfully imprisoning people in 9.5%-18% of cases, but while “that level of error by magistrates is of concern and unacceptable”, it was too low to suggest “a problem inherent within the system”.

Following Woolcock’s case, the Welsh government decided to abolish custodial sentences for non-payment of council tax'

The Magistrates made a mistake and folk in Wales are no longer gaoled for non-payment of council tax.

[Deskdiary]

Actually it's a perfect example.

A woman was jailed, but subsequently released, after an error. BUT the fact is she was initially jailed for non-payment of £5,000.

A woman was not jailed even though convicted, with no error, of stealing £100,000.

[Deskdiary]

https://www.ft.com/content/d1ef81ea-da25-11e9-8f9b-77216ebe1f17

[lady-janine]

This is disgusting and should be resolved by strong government. Not nimby-pimby messing around. If you don't pay into the system why should you get anything out of it. I'm not suggesting they should be starved to death but let their own religious followers look after them.

[THECORBYLOON]

DD, as she should not have been gaoled in the first place and folk in Wales can no longer be gaoled for that offence anyway, how is it a perfect example?

[Mamyalynne]

I have already stated that she has thus far been dealt with leniently and the possible reasons why, I in no way condone what she did.

[THECORBYLOON]

"I'm not suggesting they should be starved to death but let their own religious followers look after them."

Does that also apply to Christian benefit fraudsters?

[Togo]

Wonder if they all needed a TV licence or are they exempt from such tedious detail? Would have been banged up for that I bet. Wouldn't you just love to know how many of our new and exciting cultural enrichments do buy a licence. The name checks would be a mare, and as for positive I.D. forget it.

[Deskdiary]

"DD, as she should not have been gaoled in the first place and folk in Wales can no longer be gaoled for that offence anyway, how is it a perfect example?"

Sigh...

Because she was jailed. You accept that, yes? (yes, it was an error, BUT she was jailed).

The woman in the OP wasn't.

Ignoring the error of the jailing in the first link I posted, please look at the FT link I posted.

But that's all by the by anyway - the simple fact of the matter is somebody has managed to get away with knowingly stealing £100k. Surely, even the most achingly right-on people must be able to see that it is wrong. Can't they?

[THECORBYLOON]

You cannot be gaoled for not having a TV licence.

[naomi24]

The system in this country is barmy. No surprise we're such a popular destination for the 'needy'.

[Chinajan]

Quote Togo:

// Wonder if they all needed a TV licence or are they exempt from such tedious detail? Would have been banged up for that I bet. Wouldn't you just love to know how many of our new and exciting cultural enrichments do buy a licence. The name checks would be a mare, and as for positive I.D. forget it. //

Who are 'they'? Who are 'our new and exciting cultural enrichments'?
Name checks would be a mare? Why? 'They' have 'funny' names or what?

You may think it's clever to try to get around the Site Rules by using euphemisms but I see you. It was a racist comment.