Twyford

Wokingham District Council is sending a clear warning that fraudulent benefit claims will not be tolerated after a Twyford man was successfully prosecuted for seven counts of false representation.

On Wednesday October 4, Mr Mark Heath of Orchard Estate, Twyford was ordered to pay a fine of £750 and costs of £400 after he pleaded guilty at Maidenhead Magistrates’ Court to offences under the Social Security Administration Act 1992.

In his applications for Twyford council tax and housing benefit between 2001 and 2005, Mr Heath failed to disclose five bank accounts and the £25,000 held in them, resulting in the payment of some £9,000 in housing and council tax benefit to which he was not entitled.

Officers at the council investigated between November 2005 and March 2006 after data matching information received from the national Housing Benefit Matching Service indicated that Mr Heath had undisclosed bank accounts. Mr Heath has since repaid the £9,000 in full.

Wokingham District Council’s corporate head of finance Graham Ebers said: “Benefits are there to help those who really need them and the council has a clear scrutiny process in place to make sure that this happens.”

“The council is sending a clear message that it will track down and prosecute those who abuse the system and make false claims for financial help.”

Wokingham District Counci ~ Twyford