Legal News
Benefits Cheat Claimed £140,000 to Buy Property (15 November 2011)
Date: 15/11/2011
A woman who stole £140,000 in benefits was handed a jail term for her fraudulent actions. Jennifer Myrie used a range of aliases to help her to attain enough housing benefit to purchase property worth £500,000. The 50-year-old, who was employed in social work, also fraudulently claimed income support and jobseeker’s allowance. Basildon Crown Court was told of how the relatives residing in her properties also made fraudulent claims for housing benefit. Together, they received £140,000 over a total of seven years.
Miss Myrie used the aliases of Jennifer Finley and Jennifer Aiken to pose as both a landlord and a tenant. This allowed her to claim a greater sum of benefits. The court heard how Miss Myrie owned a £188,000 property in Thornton Heath, a £135,000 property in South Norwood, and a £210,000 property in Catford. Miss Myrie was previously handed accommodation by Lambeth Council. She rented out this council-owned property in private yet continued to claim housing benefit for it. The court heard how Miss Myrie put three of her London-based properties on the market for a total of £533,000 in 2006. She then purchased two Canvey Island properties– one at a value of £184,000 and another of a value of £205,000.
Judge Ian Graham handed Miss Myrie an 18-month jail sentence for a total of 19 offences. Welfare reform minister, Lord Freud, has claimed that the new welfare benefits system will eliminate the majority of the complexities that leave the system open to fraud.
Duncan Lewis’ criminal law solicitors can represent clients faced with charges of benefit fraud.