Charged with Benefit Fraud - Any advice?

[Deleted User]

I know someone (not I might add a relative) who is currently doing a short sentence in prison having done one last year and they say its not as bad as they expected, but its still prison.
OP have you got a decent solicitor? and is this a first offence? also what sums of money are involved?

TELLIT01

Andy500 wrote: »

I know it's still wrong but it is government money.

A comment like that was enough to remove any glimmer of sympathy I may have had for your situation. 'Government money' comes in large part from the taxes paid by honest people. You could do us all a favour and get your solicitor/barrister to tell the judge that this is your defence. I'm sure it will go down really well.

trigger_fish

epm-84 wrote: »

If it is the ex-partner who's reported him and she knew about it years ago could she not face criminal charges as well?

No. Unless she was on whatever claim. Unless you want a society of snitches. Lying isn't a crime either.

I suspect quite a few of being up to no good. But that's all it is-a suspicion.

Andy500

venison wrote: »

I know someone (not I might add a relative) who is currently doing a short sentence in prison having done one last year and they say its not as bad as they expected, but its still prison.
OP have you got a decent solicitor? and is this a first offence? also what sums of money are involved?

I saw a solicitor last week. He seemed alright but I don't know if he is decent or not. The total amount is just under £40,000. I have 3 previous convictions - 2 for public order and 1 for theft buy just got a fine for each of them.

Do you know what the ammount was for that person you know and how long prison sentence he got?

POPPYOSCAR

Ok I will bite.

Very much doubt you will go to prison.

There is just not enough room.

w06

This looks to be the sentencing guidelines https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/item/benefit-fraud/2-benefit-fraud/

trigger_fish

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

Ok I will bite.

Very much doubt you will go to prison.

There is just not enough room.

I very much doubt it as well.

pcman1985

Go to court, plead guilty.
Fill out an Income and Expenditure Form to work out what you can afford to repay each week/month.
Offer this amount to them until the debt is repaid.
If you are in prison the governemnt won't be getting the money back from you anytime soon. But if you are working and willing to repay the judge may be more lenient. If you do get away without prison consider it a lesson well learned and most importantly keep up with repayments.

Also make sure you don't lose your job, or you may well find money is being taken from your benefit to repay the money from when you were fraudaulently claiming.

Also expect a penalty charge on top of the money you have to pay back.

trigger_fish

pcman1985 wrote: »

Go to court, plead guilty.
Fill out an Income and Expenditure Form to work out what you can afford to repay each week/month.
Offer this amount to them until the debt is repaid.

One pound per week for the next 100 years.

kingfisherblue

If you've stolen £40,000 over a period of five years, you deserve prison. I know someone who embezzled money (about £25,000) and was imprisoned for around eight months. When he came out, he had an electronic tag. Unfortunately he did not have to pay the money back to the company that they stole from.

I have no sympathy for thieves, and stealing from the government is no excuse. It is still stealing.

Regarding telling your family - you should tell them before someone else does. Yes, they will be ashamed of you, but that's a chance that you took. Maybe you could use it as a lesson to teach your son that being a criminal is not a good thing, and show to him how much you regret it - but only iof you truly mean it. You might want to tell his mother first, so that she is able to be there. After all, it is his mum who is likely to have to deal with any problems that arise as a result of your offence.