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Last Updated: 09/10/2024 09:31:03
Benefit fraudster jailed for 6 months
Thursday, 21 February 2013 13:40
On 14th February 2012, the Sheriff at Stranraer sentenced a man to 6 months imprisonment following a joint investigation by Dumfries and Galloway Council and the Department of Work and Pensions.
Brian Allan, aged 50, of Antrim Avenue, Stranraer admitted that he obtained benefit which he was not entitled to by failing to disclose that he had received a lump sum payment from a Pension fund totalling over £27,000.
The overpayments of Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit totalled in excess of £15,000 and ran from October 2009 to March 2011. They are recoverable in full.
In addition to the sentence imposed by the court, the Council and the Department of Work and Pensions always seek to recover the money falsely obtained, to ensure that fraudsters do not benefit from their criminal activities.
This fraud was discovered following a check on data supplied under the National Fraud Initiative. This initiative is explained in Audit Scotland’s website - http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/work/nfi.php
The latest government estimate (2010/11) is that £1.2 billion is lost from public funds every year through all benefit fraud.
For more information on how our Council tackles benefit fraud, check the website www.dumgal.gov.uk
If you know of anyone committing benefit fraud you can contact our Council's Benefit Fraud Team in confidence:
Tel: 0800 085 7449
email: benefit.fraud@dumgal.gov.uk
Brian Allan, aged 50, of Antrim Avenue, Stranraer admitted that he obtained benefit which he was not entitled to by failing to disclose that he had received a lump sum payment from a Pension fund totalling over £27,000.
The overpayments of Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit totalled in excess of £15,000 and ran from October 2009 to March 2011. They are recoverable in full.
In addition to the sentence imposed by the court, the Council and the Department of Work and Pensions always seek to recover the money falsely obtained, to ensure that fraudsters do not benefit from their criminal activities.
This fraud was discovered following a check on data supplied under the National Fraud Initiative. This initiative is explained in Audit Scotland’s website - http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/work/nfi.php
The latest government estimate (2010/11) is that £1.2 billion is lost from public funds every year through all benefit fraud.
For more information on how our Council tackles benefit fraud, check the website www.dumgal.gov.uk
If you know of anyone committing benefit fraud you can contact our Council's Benefit Fraud Team in confidence:
Tel: 0800 085 7449
email: benefit.fraud@dumgal.gov.uk
Page last updated: 20/05/2022
