Shrewsbury mother guilty of £56,000 benefit fraud

Linda Davis was yesterday found guilty by a jury of making claims for working tax credit, housing and council tax benefit, and income support she was not entitled to between 2008 and 2014, following a trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court.

Mr Marc Davies, prosecuting, said the 44-year-old, of Bainbridge Green, Harlescott Grange, Shrewsbury, committed fraud because she failed to declare that she had been living with her husband Stuart Birrel. The claims were made on the basis she was a single parent, the court was told.

Davis insisted she had told the truth – despite revealing she had married Mr Birrel in September last year. The total amount Davis claimed was £55,980.

Davis notified the authorities in 2012 that she would be starting work, sparking an investigation by Shropshire Council and the Department for Work and Pensions into her past benefit claims.

Mr Davies said Davis had claimed Mr Birrel moved out in 2008 but investigators found the couple had booked a joint holiday in 2011 and Mr Birrel had taken out car insurance, telling the company the car would be parked at Davis' address.

He said Mr Birrel also had bank accounts connected to the same address.

The court heard that when she was interviewed, Davis told investigators that after separating from Mr Birrel he had moved to Suffolk but still visited to see his children.

On Wednesday Miss Davis told the jury Mr Birrel would often be at the family home – but only to look after the children while she visited family in Lincolnshire.

She denied charges relating to income support claims between April 2008 and November 2012. She also denied being concerned in fraudulent activity between April 2009 and July 2014 to claim tax credits and two further charges of fraud from 2012.

She was found guilty of all charges and will be sentenced on June 10.