Saturday 3 March 2012

Cleaner Pocketed £41,000K Benefit Handout While Working


A cleaner, who pocketed up to £797 per fortnight secretly working during a £41,000 income support scam, was jailed for three-and-a-half months yesterday.

Single mum-of-two Nina Johnson, 51, of Gascoyne House, Gascoyne Road, Homerton, East London began claiming on June 22, 2004 as a lone parent not in employment.

However, it was discovered she had been working since September 18 the same year without declaring the income to the Department of work and Pensions.

This resulted in an overpayment of £41,743, which for the past year Johnson has been repaying at the rate of £10 per week.

She was questioned on July 9, 2010 and denied she had a job, claiming she was simply covering for a friend who was on holiday.

Johnson used her own name, national insurance number and date of birth to secure employment.

"People who take benefit they are not entitled to are stealing from the taxpayer," Recorder E. Arbuthnot told the tearful first-time offender at Southwark Crown Court (pictured).


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