Fraudster claimed £16k with Universal Credit lie

A fraudster who falsely claimed almost £16,500 in benefits over five and a half years has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Wayne Gaines, 50, lied about not having any money when he applied for Universal Credit between 2018 and 2023 when he actually had up to £40,000, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Had he told the truth, he would not have been entitled to the benefit, prosecutor Shada Mellor said.

Gaines, from Consett in County Durham, was jailed for eight months, suspended for 18, with 300 hours unpaid work after he admitted fraud by false representation.

When Gaines first applied for Universal Credit in October 2018, he had to sign an online declaration saying he did not have any savings, investments or shares over the £16,000 limit, Ms Mellor said.

He also agreed that he understood he could be prosecuted if that was found not to be true or his situation changed, the court heard.

Gaines received about £16,450 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) until July 2023 when his fraud was discovered, Ms Mellor said.

A review of his bank statements found between 2018 and 2023 his balance ranged from about £33,500 to just over £40,000, the court heard.

In mitigation, the court heard he was "extremely remorseful" and had sold his car to repay £10,000, with money also being deducted from benefits since.

Judge Penny Moreland said Gaines, of Sunningdale, had "lied" in his initial application, adding: "This was a claim that was fraudulent from the outset and motivated only by greed."

He was ordered to repay an outstanding balance of about £6,300 to the DWP within 28 days.

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