A benefit thief has received 51 weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years, for dishonestly furnishing false and misleading information to Luton Borough Council in respect of her housing benefit claim.
Tazeem Bibi-Shah, 43, of High Mead in Luton, was sentenced at Luton Crown Court on Tuesday March 9 after she was found guilty by a jury at an earlier trial of fraudulently claiming housing benefit totalling £44,836.
Bibi-Shah did this by deliberately not telling the council on three benefit application forms that she was related to her landlord.
In her third claim form, she did not reveal that her husband, who was living with her, had become the owner of the claim address.
When sentencing, Judge Nissan QC, said: “You have been found guilty of three counts of dishonestly furnishing documents which were false in material particulars, namely you have been dishonestly claiming benefits from the council from 2003 to 2008….. this fraud involved a significant amount of money and you were rightly found to be dishonest….The public are rightly outraged by these offences as it is the public who are the victim in these offences….benefits awarded to you are not available for others who require them…”
Bibi-Shah has repaid £1,360 so far and has made arrangements to make further repayments to the Council.
Cllr Robin Harris, portfolio holder for Finance, said: “Benefits fraud is a serious offence, resulting in a criminal record for the culprit as well as them having to repay all the money they have stolen, quite apart from the risk of a lengthy prison sentence.”
If you think someone you know is claiming benefits illegally, call the fraud hotline in complete confidence on 0500 500777 or email fraud@luton.gov.uk