Jail for woman in £43,000 benefits fraud

A CARER who dishonestly pocketed more than £43,000 in sickness benefit while working has been jailed for 12 months.

Angelina Russell claimed the money in sickness and incapacity benefits over nine years despite the fact she was working throughout.

The 57-year-old mother was caught out in a benefits fraud crackdown and admitted five counts of deception and seven counts of false accounting.

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Russell, of Eversley Crescent, St Leonards, asked for another 424 similar offences to be considered.

But Lewes Crown Court heard she told police she resented having to pay council tax and saw the dishonesty as a way of 'settling the score'.

Robert de Banzie, prosecuting, told the court Russell had claimed benefit legitimately after suffering breast cancer but had returned to work after successful treatment.

He said: "She is a married lady who was in received sickness benefit from March to October 1994 and invalidity benefit from October 1994 to November 1995.

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"Also, between 1995 and 2003 she claimed incapacity benefit and received housing benefit and council tax benefit.

"She would send various medical certificates claiming she was unfit to work.

"She was arrested as part of a fraud drive when it was discovered she was working. She received 43,363.01p in benefits she was not entitled to.

"She admitted the allegations but said she resented having to pay council tax and got nothing from the service.

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"In effect, she thought it was a way of settling the score."

Rebecca Upton, defending, told the court Russell was a carer for her sick husband and had not originally intended to defraud the Department for Work and Pensions.

She said: "She accepts her actions were dishonest.

"In 1995, she began working as a carer at The Priory Residential home in Hastings.

"She assumed changes would be made to her benefits but they weren't and she continued to fill in the forms.

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"She maintains she misunderstood the procedure in the beginning. Her husband relies on her to do everything for him."

Jailing Russell, Judge Richard Brown told her: "This was blatant dishonest conduct. Only a custodial sentence can be justified."

Chris Pond, Minister for Fraud at the DWP, said : ''If you commit benefit fraud, sooner or later you can expect a knock on your door from one of our investigators.

"The public can help by calling the anonymous Benefit Fraud Hotline to report a cheat on 0800 854440."