Benefit fraud where commited several years ago

nigel2smooth

I would like to make an enquiry where someone has been prosecuted for benefit fraud several years ago.

Can someone be prosecuted when a number of years have elapsed and the person is now off benefits. Also if a person were to be prosecuted whould there be severe penalties in place.

For instance, would there be interest accuring on the amount of fraudulent money claimed years ago.

rogerblack

Being off benefits doesn't protect you at all.
Penalties may include simple recovery, or if convicted of benefit fraud, there is the option to go for 'proceeds of crime act' recovery.
This may do things that bailiffs can't - for example compel you to sell your house, even if you have nowhere else to live.
I do not believe interest is assumed, but this is not an area I've looked into.
I'm assuming at the beginning you mean 'someone is prosecuted for a benefit fraud occurring several years ago'.
If they have already been prosecuted, they cannot be prosecuted again.

nigel2smooth

gregbythesea wrote: »

The answer to that is yes.

If information comes about that casts doubt as to whether someone should have been claiming a benefit, even though it was years earlier and they closed the claim down, they will be investigated.

I was one of these unfortunately. Claimed Unemployment Benefit in 1983 and closed it down in 1985.

Information was obtained by the DHSS, as it was then, in 1990 that I had actually been working at the time and hadn't declared it.

There was an 8 month investigation which led me to be charged and found guilty in Crown Court. I was sent to prison for 6 months, 5 of which were suspended for a year + I had to repay the whole amount. I spent 2 weeks in prison.

i am still repaying the debt at £5 a week.

Sorry to hear about your situation. But at least you are over it now. So you are still paying £5. Do you have long left to pay? On the amount you are currently paying back do you not think there is interest charged on top of the amount you are owing ?

marybelle01

gregbythesea wrote: »

There is no need to be sorry, I actually enjoyed myself in prison! I treated it as a 2 week holiday. I got to meet some rather dubious characters but on the whole quite decent. Because it was such a short sentence they had me banged up in a Cat A prison!! i was excused work so spent the time at leisure.

Gosh. It obviously wasn't a disincentive to committing crime then? Shame - they shouldn't have suspended the other 5 months. You might have felt slightly more sorry after 3 months in prison.

orwell22

marybelle01 wrote: »

Gosh. It obviously wasn't a disincentive to committing crime then? Shame - they shouldn't have suspended the other 5 months. You might have felt slightly more sorry after 3 months in prison.

How about focusing on the tax cheats who seem to never go to prison instead of the poorest in society? Guess it easier to pick on those weaker.

shop-to-drop

orwell22 wrote: »

How about focusing on the tax cheats who seem to never go to prison instead of the poorest in society? Guess it easier to pick on those weaker.

How about we carry on focusing on both?

alex21

Even death won't save you from an overpayment. It will be applied to your estate!!

scootw1

gregbythesea wrote: »

Are you suggesting that a 6 month sentence of imprisonment is suitable for someone that claimed and worked for two years and had no previous?

In which case, they would have to build a new prison just to house the benefit & tax credit cheats!

All I hear now is that they get off with Community Service!

Why should I feel sorry for myself? Prison is supposed to be a place that rehabilitates you, not somewhere that you become depressed and suicidal.

What a strange view of prison. I always thought you were going there to be punished for a crime. Had that wrong all this time. I guess this is why crime is so high in this country if there is no incentive to behave

gravitytolls

Well the thread's not about how prison works, that's for DT, so how 'bout you all stick to answering the OP.