Man jailed for claiming housing benefit on home he already owned

When Teresa Belton-Martin, 34, and Abrar Abbasi, 32, moved into his property in Belle Vue Road, Walthamstow in December 2005, Ms Belton-Martin failed to declare that she was living with her ‘landlord’ as husband and wife.

Mr Abbasi disguised his identity by changing his name by deed poll, and then changed the name on the title deeds and mortgage to ‘bdullah Khan, to whom the housing benefit was paid.

He then transferred the property and the mortgage to his sister, Asia Ahmed, 31, and told Waltham Forest Council that she was the new landlord.

Finally he took back the mortgage, transferring it into the name Abrar Khan.

Ms Belton-Martin also claimed an additional discretionary housing payment between January 2006 and February 2007, on the grounds of her children’s needs.

All three pleaded guilty and were sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court recently.

Abbasi was jailed for 18 months – a sentence to be served consecutively with a current sentence he is serving.

Belton-Martin received an 18-month sentence, suspended for two years. She was also ordered to carry out 200 hours’ community service and is subject to a curfew which sees her confined to her home between 9pm and 6am for four months.

His sister, Asia Ahmed, was ordered to carry out a programme of community service, with an 18-month supervision order.

Cllr Mark Rusling, Waltham Forest Council's cabinet member for economic development and corporate resources, said: "Our counter fraud team works very hard to track down benefit cheats and bring them to book.

“As this case demonstrates, in many instances we are not just talking hundreds or even thousands of pounds that people have defrauded, but tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds.

“Needless to say, at a time when the public sector is facing significant challenges in relation to funding, we have a duty to ensure anyone looking to play the system and rip-off the public purse be held to account.”