Two fraudsters pay the penalty
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
05/02/2009
Two fraudsters have been brought to justice after dishonestly claiming almost £15,000 between them in benefits.
Fatima Dodson, 43, of Roseford Court, Shepherds Bush Green, W12 claimed housing benefit amounting to £5,691 and council tax benefit amounting to £337 more than she was entitled to.
At Blackfriars Crown Court on January 23, Miss Recorder Cherie Booth QC, sentenced Dodson to six months in prison, suspended for two years. Dodson was also ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work within 12 months and to sit a financial management course.
Dodson’s misdemeanours were uncovered following an investigation from the council’s corporate anti-fraud service who discovered that she had been working without telling the council.
Dodson was also convicted of three accounts of false accounting contrary to Section 17 of the Theft Act 1968. This came about after council officers detected that she had repeatedly lied on a number of housing assistance applications.
Sylwia Siwak, 36, of Orchid Street, W12, was given a similar punishment when she appeared at West London Magistrates Court on January 27.
The prosecution came about after council’s corporate anti-fraud service discovered that three undeclared tenants were living at her council property and paying rent.
Information was also found on the search connecting the subject and her partner to a number of bank accounts that had also not been declared to the council.
Siwak’s housing benefit and council tax benefit were revised taking into account the evidence that had been obtained and it was established that she had been overpaid £9,033.
Commenting on both cases, Cllr Greg Smith, cabinet member for crime and street scene, said: “Benefit fraud will simply not be tolerated in Hammersmith & Fulham. Our corporate anti fraud service work round the clock to catch benefit cheats and the message to anyone who is considering acting in such an unscrupulous fashion is that you will be caught and you will pay the penalty.”
