Royal Greenwich Convicts Finance Worker For Benefit Fraud

by our Correspondent | Woolwich

Ms Hazel Eloni, a finance worker from Charlton SE7, became the latest benefit cheat to be caught and sentenced to 24 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 2 years, at Bexley Magistrates Court on 4 September 2015.

She was also handed a 12 week curfew, which will be monitored by an electronic tag, after being found guilty of defrauding the Royal Borough of Greenwich of Housing Benefit totalling almost £6,000.

Ms Eloni declared to the royal borough that she worked 21 hours per week as a customer services officer for a large high street bank. In support of her Housing Benefit claim, Ms Eloni provided what she claimed were original payslips and bank statements showing her income form the bank was just over £700 a month.

Enquiries by the Council’s Internal Audit & Anti-fraud team identified that all of the payslips -and the majority of the bank statements provided by Ms Eloni - were false. In reality she had been working 30 hours a week for the bank, and earning at least £1,500 per month.

On 19 June 2015, Council officers and the Metropolitan Police visited Ms Eloni’s home address and she was arrested. A search of her home located the false payslips and bank statements.

During an interview at Plumstead Police station, Ms Eloni stated that she knew the documents she had provided to the royal borough were false but needed to claim benefits to enable her to be considered for re-housing.

Ms Eloni attended Bexley Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to 8 offences under the Social Security Administration Act 1992 relating to £5,827.07 in overpaid Housing Benefit during the period from May 2012 to February 2015. This is now being repaid to the royal borough.

Upon sentencing at Bexley Magistrates Court on 4 September 2015 Ms Eloni was also ordered to pay the royal borough costs of £140 and a criminal court charge of £180.

It has since been confirmed that Ms Eloni was dismissed from her job with the bank.

Councillor Maureen O’Mara, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, said: “This is the latest example of someone who banked on not being caught out cheating the system."

"Due to the hard work and diligence of the Council’s Anti-fraud team, Ms Eloni was caught, sentenced and has paid the ultimate price with a criminal record and also losing her job. I hope this sends out a strong message to other benefit cheats. We will find you, we will prosecute you, in order to protect the public purse.”