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£48,000 benefits cheat

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Published Date: 03 July 2009
A SCROUNGER who claimed she was too ill to work received £48,000 in benefits over seven years – despite having a full time job.
Patricia Veasey, aged 55, of Atlantic Road, Low Edges, earned up to £1,200 a month at nursing homes in Sheffield, and even took 10 qualifications, while claiming incapacity, housing and council tax benefit.

Sheffield Crown Court heard Veasey, aged 55, was signed off work with chronic obstructive airways disease in June 1998.

Yet the following year she started full time at Bowshaw View Nursing Home in Low Edges, and worked there for a year.

A year later she left and took a job at Dalewood View Care Centre in Woodseats and stayed there until 2006.

Prosecutor Simon Pallo said in the seven years she was on benefits Veasey was asked numerous times to fill in new claims forms – and each time stated she was not working.

The Department for Work and Pensions caught up with her in July 2007 – and she made full confession, claiming she was in a lot of debt, he added.

Judith Seaborne, defending, said Veasey's claim had not been dishonest at the outset.

But Judge Alan Goldsack QC said it was a serious benefit fraud which would have meant jail – if it hadn't been for the two-year delay in bringing the case to court.

He told Veasey: "Even criminals are entitled to be prosecuted within a reasonable time. Two years is totally unreasonable for anyone to have hanging over them with the fear and in your case, expectation, that you will be sent to prison.

"Because of the delay I am going to suspend the sentence."

Criticising the Department for Work and Pensions, he added: "Why it takes so long to bring a straightforward case to the court I don't know, unless the DWP is chronically overworked or incompetent."

He sentenced Veasey to 40 weeks' jail, suspended for one year, and 200 hours of unpaid community work.

The court heard she is repaying the incapacity benefit at £2 a fortnight and the other benefits at £13.20 a month.

After the hearing Vernon Sanderson, DWP fraud investigator, said there were lessons to be learned.

He added: "I wouldn't accept we were an incompetent department. In this case I accept things did not go as quickly as they could. We have a tremendous amount of work pressure at the moment because of the economic downturn."

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  • Last Updated: 03 July 2009 2:34 PM
  • Source: Sheffield Star
  • Location: Sheffield
 
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Sheffield-news post,

office 03/07/2009 08:35:50
a joke, how can she be still allowed to get benefits?
she is not paying nothing back she is now just getting a reduced rate pay out from the dole!she should be made to work for her dole and have it deducted also
she should have her house striped bare and if she has 1 her car took from her under the proceeds of crime act, she is a criminal and thats proven in court.
2

Sheffield-news post,

still in the office 03/07/2009 08:38:19
cant the council take her house of her also now she has been convicted? i would guess she was claiming housing benefit also!
3

Mjb66,

03/07/2009 09:57:46
It is interesting that the normal person is called a scrounger for being dishonest but what do you call a dishonest MP.
4

WiseOwlS5,

Sheffield 03/07/2009 10:00:44
Yet another benefit cheat,who has got off lightly.
Any assets she has, should be used to repay the 48k.

No excuses she knew what she waas doing.
5

doubtful,

Doncaster 03/07/2009 10:26:49
I think there are a lot of underlying reasons for cheating benefits - mostly the lack of available advice and the sheer inflexibility of the system. Not defending this woman in any way. But I have been ill for many years. never worked, but at times I have improved a bit and would be able to take a part time job, but if I did, I would lose my long term benefits and when I get ill again it would be an absolute nightmare getting back on benefits - probably impossible. I had the proverbial book thrown at me when I came into some money - I rang several times for advice and was told how to legally carry on claiming, but when I mentioned it a couple of years later, I was accused of fraud and made to repay thousands, even though they accepted I had been wrongly advised and that it was impossible to get advise. I nearly committed suicide. Not because of what happened, but because of the fear of being exposed in the local papers. The Star should be careful what it calls people caught in this web.
6

bladesboywoodhouse,

03/07/2009 11:12:48
Judge Alan Goldsack QC, GUILTY of handing out a pathetic sentence!! This money should be paid back, ALL of it. The court heard she is repaying the incapacity benefit at £2 a fortnight and the other benefits at £13.20 a month What the hell. £48.000 will never get paid back. That is 5 years wage to some people out there. No excuse THIEF Patricia Veasey THIEF
7

Harvey21,

Sheffield 03/07/2009 12:06:41
Judging by the picture the 'obstructive airways disease' doesn't stop this scum bag from smoking!
8

amy@irwin,

03/07/2009 12:49:08
Think al start signing on then and lay low for a couple of years - might as well if you can get away with it!!!! JOKE SYSTEM AS ALWAYS!
9

,

03/07/2009 12:54:23
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason: Removed at editor's discretion
10

dromedarys,

03/07/2009 14:20:32
Yes the woman is a thief but like in many other cases (vat, tax, tv license etc)its just a few that seem to abuse the system, the majority don't.

@ Sheffield-news post:

IIRC, even if the council evicted her they would still have a duty under law to rehouse her.

Try dealing with the DWP and see how hard it is to get benefits. Sounds like they screwed up in this instance. I had to change benefits and put in a claim for ESA over 4 weeks ago and still have not received a reply or any money. I'm afraid "air pie" is not very filling.
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