Ealing takeaway worker falsely claimed £21,391 from Hounslow Council
A takeaway worker, who worked in Ealing borough whilst claiming housing benefit from Hounslow borough has been locked up for four months.
Rampal Sharma, 53, falsely claimed housing benefit totalling £21, 391 between 2000 and 2003 to pay the mortgage on his home.
A judge at Isleworth Crown Court said the crime was so serious that a custodial sentence was his only option. In addition, he told Sharma to pay back everything he stole.
This complex case was brought to court by Hounslow Council’s benefit fraud unit following a painstaking investigation and marks one of the largest benefit frauds ever uncovered in this borough.
Cllr Gerald McGregor, Hounslow Council’s lead member for finance, said “This man stole more than £20,000 from the Hounslow taxpayer, a large amount of money that impacts negatively on the Council’s ability to provide services to those who really need them. It was a fraud he carried out willingly and would not have stopped unless caught. I commend the diligence of our investigators in achieving this successful outcome. The message is clear; if you are committing benefit fraud, stop and come clean. If you carry out this type of crime, you risk prison, and that does not mean an end to it. You will still have to pay back everything you stole when you come out of prison."
The court heard Sharma involved his wife in the fraud. Mrs Sharma claimed housing benefit from June 2000. In support of this claim, her husband submitted a form in a false name claiming to be the woman’s landlord and claiming not to have any relationship with her. When interviewed, Sharma told investigators he had made false claims for housing benefit to pay his mortgage. His total fraud amounted to £21,391.37.
On December 14 at Isleworth Crown Court, Sharma pleaded guilty to an offence under the Social Security Administration Act 1992 of dishonestly making a false statement in order to obtain housing benefit.
Passing sentence, His Honour District Judge Lowen said that custody was the only option because the benefit claim was fraudulent from the outset, taxpayers money was used to maintain a property, and the property had been sold at a profit.
Sharma was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, with four months to be served in custody, after that he will be released on licence. A compensation order was made for the fraudulent payment of £21,391.37 to be paid within 18 months, and prosecution costs of £1,514 were awarded to the London Borough of Hounslow.
December 23, 2006