A benefit fraudster has been given a year’s community service for wrongly claiming more than £7,000 in benefits.
Tracey Wyre, 46, of Purcell house, in Enfield, will do 100 hours of unpaid work for falsely claiming housing and council tax benefit from Enfield Borough Council in June 2009.
Suspicion fell on Ms Wyre after investigators received a report indicating that she had undeclared bank accounts.
After contacting Santander Bank, investigators established she had three additional bank accounts that held capital in excess of £6,000 that had not been declared to Enfield Council. In total Ms Wyre opened and closed 12 bank accounts with Santander.
Mrs Wyre pleaded guilty to receiving £6,757 in housing benefit, £468 in council tax benefit and £178 in council tax support between September 29, 2009 and July 6, 2014.
Councillor Andrew Stafford, Enfield Council’s cabinet member for finance, said: “Once again, a fraudster who thinks by not telling the council about their true circumstances they will be able to steal from the public purse.
“But because of joint working between agencies and our ability to cross check data there is no hiding place for people who lie about their circumstances.
“In this case, as with all others, we will pursue the fraudster to recoup all the money taken illegally.”
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