Woman pleads guilty to housing benefit fraud

A woman has been given a four week jail sentence for committing Housing Benefit fraud.

Shama Raja, aged 50, of Maple Leaf Drive, Marston Green appeared in Birmingham Magistrates Court on Friday 3rd October.

She faced the charge that she had falsely received benefits totalling £18,140.24, after failing to report a change in her circumstances which she knew would affect her entitlement to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. The offence took place between April 2011 and September 2013.

She was also ordered to pay £416 of prosecution costs as well as an £80 victim surcharge.

Shama Raja pleaded guilty, the judge sentenced her to four weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months and a community order was made ordering Mrs Raja to do sixty hours unpaid work.

Read more: http://www.solihull.gov.uk/news/ArtMID/820/ArticleID/459/Woman-pleads-guilty-to-housing-benefit-fraud