Benefits cheat who swindled £80,000 is jailed

Amajit Bassi failed to tell the authorities his mother had died and received benefits intended for her after her death.

The 55-year-old also failed to declare that his wife owned a large 160,000 house in Hull, which she was letting out to students. As well as letting out that house, he was also making money by renting out his mother's home without the permission of the landlord.

At Sheffield Crown Court yesterday Judge Murphy QC told Bassi, of Leebrook Avenue, Owlthorpe, Sheffield: "These are difficult times we live in, and people need state benefits.

"Those who really need state benefits may not get what they actually need to live on when people like you are deceiving the state into paying them more than they are entitled to."

Prosecuting, Laura Marshall said: "He had not declared that he was receiving rent from his mother's property, which he was letting out.

"He didn't tell his mother's landlord of his mother's death, and rented the property out twice without the owner's consent."

Attempts were made to arrest Bassi on November 30 last year but police then discovered he was in India and was not going to be returning until April 2010.

Bassi was arrested upon his return to the UK and pleaded guilty at his first Crown Court appearance in July.

Sheffield Council and the DWP estimate that, since 2003, he falsely claimed almost 37,000 in council tax benefit and housing benefit, and more than 45,500 in Income Support and pension credit.

Defending, Simon Pallo said Bassi was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis seven years ago and had also experienced "substantial" financial problems.

He said: "The reason for these claims was simply to get him on a sure footing financially and to put him on what he described as a clean slate.

"He wanted to move forward and wanted to be self-sufficient. He had undergone several years of not being able to hold down a job, and this affected his self-confidence, his self-worth and his self-identity.

"These factors, coupled with his diagnosis, led to him suffering from depression. He understands that what he did was wrong."

Mr Pallo added: "Mr Bassi's trips to India were not an attempt to evade justice, they were solely concerned with his ongoing medical condition."

Sentencing Bassi to 12 months in prison, Judge Murphy said he had been "persistent and determined" in carrying out the fraud and added: "When men like you defraud the state benefit system they will experience – whatever their personal circumstances – an immediate custodial sentence."

The assistant director of finance at Sheffield Council, Andy Dolling, said after the hearing: "This is just another example of a greedy individual seeking to cheat the benefits system.

"The council and the DWP together are committed to identifying and prosecuting benefit fraudsters. The council is extremely pleased that the judge has recognised the seriousness of the offence and committed Mr Bassi to prison."

A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions added: "Benefit theft takes money away from the most vulnerable.

"It is a crime and we are committed to stopping it by catching those who do it and making sure the benefit system is less open to abuse."