Suspended prison sentence for benefits cheat

Deborah Batty, of Athlone Green, Hull, was wrongly paid housing and council tax benefits totalling £60,198.70 by failing to declare she was living with her partner.

She admitted two counts of dishonesty when she appeared before magistrates in the city and was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for the same period, when she was sentenced at Hull Crown Court.

As well as being ordered to repay every penny, Batty must also carry out 240 hours of unpaid community work and observe a three-month curfew between the hours of 8pm and 6am.

The fraud was discovered after a joint investigation by Hull Council and the Department for Work and Pensions, and both organisations said the sentence should serve as a warning to others who see the benefits system as an easy target for fraud.

Peter Holland, the council’s assistant head of service (audit and fraud), said: “This sentence demonstrates just how serious the crime of benefit fraud is.

“Public services are faced with making difficult decisions about how they will use their funds to deliver essential services. Money paid out to fraudsters means less is available to provide services that are of real value to communities.”

John Carter, fraud investigation area manager at Jobcentre Plus, added: “No one should think they can get away with benefit theft. The DWP and local authority investigators are working together to track down those guilty of stealing money they are not entitled to, bringing them before the courts and making them face the consequences of their action. They also have to pay back all the money taken.”

Benefit cheats have defrauded more than £200,000 in the city over the last year and the council is pursuing a record number of prosecutions.