Jail term for benefit fraudster
A benefit
fraudster from Whitby is behind bars following prosecution by
Scarborough Borough Council for a string of offences.
A court heard that Stacey Spanswick, 20,
from Auckland Way committed offences between May 2008 and October
2010 by failing to declare that her partner was living with
her.
In total, overpayments of Housing Benefit,
Council Tax Benefit, Jobseekers’ Allowance and Income Support came
to more than £9,000.
Spanswick committed one offence within days
of being handed a suspended order for another non-fraud
offence.
Magistrates in Scarborough sentenced her to
eight weeks in custody for breach of the order and a further 16
weeks to be served for the benefit fraud offences.
The case is the latest success for the
council’s Counter Fraud Team and for Legal Services, who prosecuted
the offences on behalf of both the council and the Department for
Work and Pensions.
Nick Edwards, Director of Finance and Asset
Management at Scarborough Borough Council, said: “The council has
always taken a zero-tolerance approach to fraud.
“Fraudulent claimants take money from the
public purse and leave less money for those who are genuinely in
need and for community projects. A strong counter fraud approach is
good news for the taxpayers of the borough and good news for those
who want to guard public money against theft and abuse.”
Residents in the borough can report suspected fraud to the
council on the freephone number 0800 0568154.