Jail for £40,000 Ellesmere benefits cheat
Friday 23rd December 2011, 11:00AM GMT.
A mother of three was today beginning a six-month jail sentence after admitting fleecing taxpayers out of more than £40,000 in benefits she was not entitled to claim.
Jayne Speed, from Birch Road, Ellesmere, illegally claimed £15,986.36 in income support and £25,451.12 in housing and council tax benefits. Shrewsbury Crown Court was told.
The 41-year-old had failed to notify the authorities that her new partner had moved in with her and was paying the household bills.
The court heard she used the money to pay off debts she had been left with by her former partner and had made false claims between March 2003 and August last year.
Speed appeared in court yesterday for sentencing after admitting three counts of failing to notify authorities of changes in her circumstances at a previous hearing.
Mr Nicholas Berry, prosecuting, said that although the income support was not fraudulently claimed from the outset, the claims for housing and council tax benefit were.
Mr Dean Easthope, for Speed, said his client had used the money to repay debts she was saddled with by a former partner, who was abusive to her.
Mr Easthope said Speed eventually reported that her new partner had moved in.
“She realised it couldn’t go on any longer and did bring it to an end herself,” he said.
He added: “She had been suffering from an abusive relationship with her first real partner. She was left with debt run up by her partner.”
Mr Easthope told the court Speed had already started to repay back some of the money she owed to the authorities.
“She has taken on a job to help pay the money back,” he added.
Judge Robin Onions said: “I accept your hard working and accept the impact this has had on you and those close to you.
“These offences you committed are offences of the greatest seriousness.”
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