Hospital Employee's £30K Benefits Swindle

A benefit cheat hospital worker used a bogus name to pocket over £30,000 in housing and council tax benefit during a five-and-a-half year swindle motivated by “simple greed.”

Lena Yussuf, 51, of Maxted Road, Peckham continued claiming taxpayers money to cover her rent while employed by Queen Mary's Hospital and St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust.

Camberwell Green Magistrates Court (pictured) heard Yussuf received total overpayments of £30,800 between November 20, 2006 and July 18, last year.

She pleaded guilty to four counts of failing to notify a change of circumstances to the London Borough of Southwark and was sentenced to 100 hours community service work and ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge.

No compensation order was made and the council will continue deducting money from benefit payments Yussuf is currently receiving.

The court heard she obtained employment as a hospital support worker using a different identity while continuing to claim benefits.

The district judge told her: “It was simple greed on your part to take public money paid by taxpayers when you were not entitled.”