Droitwich woman admits benefit fraud

11:00am Monday 4th March 2013 in News

A DROITWICH Spa woman will be electronically tagged after being prosecuted for benefit fraud.

Since 1993, Margaret Lock, aged 58, currently living at Teesdale Close, Droitwich Spa, claimed income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit as a single person, in relation to the property she rents in Droitwich.

As a result of a joint investigation by Wychavon District Council and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), it was found that Lock had failed to disclose capital in a number of undisclosed bank accounts; including a joint account with her ex-partner, who now lives with her in her again as a non-dependant.

An examination of these accounts revealed a large number of unexplained credits. When she was interviewed about this matter in November 2011 and January 2012 she failed to give a satisfactory explanation for these.

The investigation found total over payments of £17,581.16 in income support and a total of £5,089.44 in housing benefit and council tax benefit.

The case was heard at Worcester Magistrates Court on Wednesday, February 27 where she pleaded guilty to all the charges.

In mitigation, her solicitor Mark Lister advised the bench that the years 2005 to 2011 had been a difficult time for Lock. Her former partner had become ill and had moved back into her property. She was made bankrupt in 2009 and has a 32-year old daughter with severe medical problems, for whom she provides care. She also looks after her grandchildren.

In summary, he said that during that time she didn't pay proper attention to the money given to her by family, money that was paid into her bank accounts and money borrowed and paid out. Due to her own health issues and her responsibility as a carer, her solicitor said that she would be unable to carry out unpaid work.

Therefore, when sentencing, in view of the defendant’s circumstances, magistrates sentenced her to a community service order and imposed an immediate 10-week curfew order from 8pm to 6am, where she would be electronically tagged. The prosecutors for the DWP were awarded costs of £100.

Lock will also have to fully repay all the benefits to which she was not entitled.

Comments(12)

Respectable says...
11:42am Mon 4 Mar 13

Nice bit of justice being dished out here.. Well done to all that bought this case before the courts and secured the conviction.
I really hate these serial benefit thieves. Who earth do they think they are ?

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New Kid on the Block says...
11:46am Mon 4 Mar 13

Once again WN is repeating stories.
Why post the same story twice?
Is it a slow news day again?

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pronstar says...
12:33pm Mon 4 Mar 13

Respectable wrote:
Nice bit of justice being dished out here.. Well done to all that bought this case before the courts and secured the conviction.
I really hate these serial benefit thieves. Who earth do they think they are ?
Hey yeah and what about that woman from Redditch who defrauded the taxpayer out of thousands by claiming rent to stay at her sister's home in London, whilst all along she was staying at her home in Redditch?

What was her name now?...Janet Smith, something like that?

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More Tea Vicar says...
1:20pm Mon 4 Mar 13

Sounds fair enough. She should pay it all back. Ideally, she should pay extra, say 20%, though.

The benefits system should be generous to those who need it and are entitled to it, but hard on those who abuse it.

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Respectable says...
3:11pm Mon 4 Mar 13

pronstar wrote:
Respectable wrote:
Nice bit of justice being dished out here.. Well done to all that bought this case before the courts and secured the conviction.
I really hate these serial benefit thieves. Who earth do they think they are ?
Hey yeah and what about that woman from Redditch who defrauded the taxpayer out of thousands by claiming rent to stay at her sister's home in London, whilst all along she was staying at her home in Redditch?

What was her name now?...Janet Smith, something like that?
Not sure what point your making.
Was she convicted of an offence by a court of law ?
Are you saying benefit fraud is acceptable ?

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Maggie Would says...
4:15pm Mon 4 Mar 13

Respectable wrote:
pronstar wrote:
Respectable wrote:
Nice bit of justice being dished out here.. Well done to all that bought this case before the courts and secured the conviction.
I really hate these serial benefit thieves. Who earth do they think they are ?
Hey yeah and what about that woman from Redditch who defrauded the taxpayer out of thousands by claiming rent to stay at her sister's home in London, whilst all along she was staying at her home in Redditch?

What was her name now?...Janet Smith, something like that?
Not sure what point your making.
Was she convicted of an offence by a court of law ?
Are you saying benefit fraud is acceptable ?
He's referring to Jacqui Smith, the MP who also had a husband that paid for his pron with our money.

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More Tea Vicar says...
4:53pm Mon 4 Mar 13

Maggie Would wrote:
Respectable wrote:
pronstar wrote:
Respectable wrote:
Nice bit of justice being dished out here.. Well done to all that bought this case before the courts and secured the conviction.
I really hate these serial benefit thieves. Who earth do they think they are ?
Hey yeah and what about that woman from Redditch who defrauded the taxpayer out of thousands by claiming rent to stay at her sister's home in London, whilst all along she was staying at her home in Redditch?

What was her name now?...Janet Smith, something like that?
Not sure what point your making.
Was she convicted of an offence by a court of law ?
Are you saying benefit fraud is acceptable ?
He's referring to Jacqui Smith, the MP who also had a husband that paid for his pron with our money.
Like a lot of other MPs, Tory and Labour. It would be interesting to look at the average company employing about 650 people and see how many of them had been caught fiddling their expenses on this scale, what proportion had ended up in prison etc.

I'm curious, because apart from the odd speeding ticket, I just don't recall anyone I've worked with doing much that was outside the law. No perverting the cause of justice, no thieving, nothing.

And I didn't get the impression we were exactly pargagons of virtue, just ordinary. Seems that MPs are the exception.

But either way, a lot of them are decent people, as are the vast majority of people who are claiming benefits they are entitled to, and living in the area this lady is from. In short, no point generalising about people.

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Respectable says...
4:58pm Mon 4 Mar 13

This news item isn't a. debate about MP's expenses. It's about one specific person who has stolen thousands of pounds and has been convicted for those offences. It's beyond me what the MP's have got to do with it. Usual Pronstar tangent..... Playing at politics...

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Doogie 46 says...
5:45pm Mon 4 Mar 13

Just surprised that Pronstar chose to focus on a Labour MP - given his apparent left wing leanings I would have thought he`d have picked on a Conservative having his moat cleaned out or buying a duck house for his pond.
As regards this case, can`t see how she is going to repay over £22,000 if her circumstances are as difficult as her solicitor claims.

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Sleepless in Droitwich says...
9:00pm Mon 4 Mar 13

And what good is an electronic tag going to do??????

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poppypoppy1 says...
2:40pm Tue 5 Mar 13

"GOOD IT SERVES HER RIGHT"

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Secret agent 46 says...
9:30am Fri 8 Mar 13

The whole family are a bunch of crooks.. Just a shame it's taken so long for them to get court.... She has been orderd to pay the money back but she only gets benefits anyway so technically the tax payer is yet again funding her crimes ... Jokers

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