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Magistrates have sentenced a Portishead man to a
12-month community order with a requirement of 90 hours unpaid work
for three charges relating to the claiming of
benefits.
Mohamed Shaukat Ali (aged 37) of Dunlin Drive, Port Marine,
pleaded guilty when he appeared at North Somerset Magistrates Court
yesterday (Thursday 27 March), to two charges of dishonestly
failing to notify changes of circumstances affecting entitlement to
benefit and one charge of dishonestly making a false representation
for the purposes of gaining benefit. He was also ordered to pay
£750 towards our costs.
The case arose because he failed to notify his true
circumstances to the council and as a result received an
overpayment of housing benefit of £6,073.98 and an overpayment of
council tax benefit of £712.93 (totalling £6,786.91).
We assist people who are on a low income by providing housing
benefit and council tax benefit to help with the payment of rent
and council tax. Both benefits are means-tested. Applicants
complete an application form, and the council uses the information
provided on the form to assess benefit entitlement.
He started a claim for housing benefit and council tax benefit
in November 2004, for a property in Portishead. He renewed his
claim by completing a review form in April 2007. On investigating
the claim, it was found that he had not declared that he was
actually the leaseholder for the Spicy Aroma restaurant in High
Street, Portishead and had been since September 2006. The
investigation also established that he had also bought a house in
Portishead.
Had we been aware that he was the freehold owner of a
residential property and was the leaseholder for a business
premises then housing and council tax benefit would not have been
payable.
Executive member responsible for finance, Cllr Tony Lake, said:
"Benefit fraud is unacceptable and the council and its contractors
will pursue cases rigorously."
No application for a compensation order was made; if the sum is
not voluntarily repaid then it will be recovered through the civil
courts. |