Cases of suspected benefit fraud 'will be investigated’
A RECENT court case in which a woman admitted defrauding Social Security out of some £65,000 showed that instances of benefit fraud would be investigated if there were suspicious circumstances, and legal action taken if necessary, said a committee spokesman.
The woman appeared in the Magistrate’s Court and admitted failing to provide full details of her working circumstances by not revealing that she and her husband were running a business.
She was given a suspended prison sentence and 150 hours of community service.
‘Thankfully, only a tiny proportion of people claiming income support seek to deliberately defraud the benefit system,’ said Social Security and inclusion director of operations Ed Ashton.
Income support is means-tested, so people claiming it must provide documentary evidence of all income, savings, and assets as part of the claim process.
‘If at the claim-making stage, or at any stage during the life of a claim, there is any reason to suspect that a person might be withholding information relevant to their claim, appropriate action is taken,’ he said.
This might lead to a face-to-face interview and a written statement, a request for more evidence or an immediate referral to Social Security’s fraud investigators.
'In any scenario where benefit has been overpaid, appropriate action is taken to recover these monies.
‘This case demonstrates that we will investigate instances of benefit fraud where suspicions are identified and take action through the courts where necessary.’
Mr Ashton said that the committee receives calls to its fraud hotline regularly, and all of these are carefully looked into.
Anyone wishing to report a suspected benefit fraud can contact the fraud hotline on 222509 or email ESS-FraudHotline@gov.gg.
