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Fraudster claimed dead mum's benefits
A BENEFIT cheat who claimed more than £82,000 of tax payers' money to which he wasn't entitled - including his dead mother's pension - has been locked up for 12 months.
Amarjit Bassi, aged 55, continued to claim pension credit for his deceased mother for 10 months after she died and claimed housing benefit and council tax benefit after failing to declare a house his wife owned in Hull.
Sentencing him at Sheffield Crown Court His Honour Judge Michael Murphy QC, said: "These are difficult times we live in and people need benefits...those that need them may not be getting what they need to live on when people like you are deceiving the system."
Laura Marshall, prosecuting, said Bassi had fraudulently claimed 82,306 since 2003.
She said he claimed housing and council tax benefit even though his wife owned a 200,000 house which she rented out to students.
He also failed to tell Sheffield Council and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that his mother had died in December 2006, and continued to claim her pension credit.
Police attempted to arrest Bassi, of Leebrook Avenue, Owlthorpe, Sheffield, last November but he had disappeared to India.
He was arrested on his return in April and in a police interview said he claimed the benefits to support his family after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Simon Pallo, defending, said Bassi was remorseful and added he had made the claims to get back onto an even financial footing.
Following the hearing, Andy Dolling, from Sheffield Council, said: "This is just another example of a greedy individual seeking to cheat the benefit system. The council and DWP are committed to prosecuting benefit fraudsters."
A DWP spokesperson said: "Benefit thieves have to pay back the money, and face imprisonment and a criminal record."
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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