Eltham: Student Learns Hard Lesson For Failing To Declare True Income For Benefit Claim

* Cllr Maureen O’Mara

by our RBG Correspondent | Woolwich

Student Ali Farouq from Eltham learned a hard lesson on 4 September 2015 when he pleaded guilty of defrauding the Royal Borough of Greenwich of Housing Benefit totaling over £2,000.

Mr Farouq, aged 42, was ordered to work 100 unpaid hours in the community after fraudulently submitting 8 Housing Benefit application forms in which he failed to declare he was a full-time student and in receipt of a student loan. He also failed to declare the bank account into which his student loan was paid.

He was invited to attend an interview with the Council’s Internal Audit & Anti-fraud team to give an explanation for his actions but failed to attend any of the appointments.

Due to his failure to attend an interview, Mr Farouq was summonsed to attend Bexley Magistrates Court and on 4 September he pleaded guilty to 3 offences under the Fraud Act 2006 relating to £2,151.12 in overpaid Housing Benefit between January 2012 and January 2013. This is now being repaid to the Council.

At Court Mr Farouq stated that he hadn’t understood the Housing Benefit process and thought it was different for full-time students. He was ordered to pay the royal borough’s costs of £500 and a victim surcharge of £60.

Councillor Maureen O’Mara, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, said: “The benefits system is there to help people who genuinely need support. This student learned the hard way that the Council has a strong track record of tracking down people who abuse the system and holding them to account."

"He now has a criminal record and has been order to pay back every penny of the money he defrauded.”