CHIGWELL: Prison sentence for benefit fraud (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

CHIGWELL: Prison sentence for benefit fraud

10:59am Wednesday 1st July 2009 in

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A MAN has been sent to prison for a year for making fraudulent benefit claims of more than £15,500.

Zahid Anwar from Stradbroke Grove, Chigwell pleaded guilty to the offence at Chelmsford Crown Court on June 18.

He began claiming Housing and Council Tax benefit in September 2006, but benefit officers became suspicious of his claims and started an investigation.

They found undisclosed accounts and money transfers into these of up to £36,000.

Anwar denied knowledge of an undisclosed bank account when interviewed under caution in June 2007, but when showed the evidence admitted it was his and said he was looking after the money for friends.

Further checks carried out revealed other undisclosed accounts in his wife's name.

In November 2007 Anwar stated he had not declared some of the accounts because they were not in current use.

He said payments of £11,000 going to a casino were the responsibility of his wife, and maintained that large amounts credited to the accounts belonged to an associate who bought and sold properties.

A senior benefit officer for Epping Forest District council decided Anwar was not entitled to any benefit and had been over paid by more than £13,000 in Housing b enefit and more than £2,500 in Council Tax benefit.

The council is now seeking repayment from Anwar's wife who received the money from payments into the accounts.