Solihull Council

March 2009

Investigation Successes

• A 29 year old married woman from Meriden accepted a Formal Caution following a successful investigation by the Council’s Benefit Investigation Team. She failed to advise The Council promptly that her husband had started work. As a result of her failure to report a change in circumstances, she was overpaid Housing Benefit of £701.21 which she is now repaying.

• A 53 year old single woman from Chelmsley Wood accepted an administration penalty following a successful investigation by the Benefit Investigation team at Solihull Council. She failed to inform the Benefits Section that she had commenced work for Solihull Council. As a result of her failure to report this change in her circumstances, she was overpaid Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit of £886.65. She will be required to pay a further £265.01 by way of the administration penalty.

• A 40 year old single mother from Smithswood accepted an administration penalty following a successful investigation by the Benefit Investigation team at Solihull Council. She failed to inform the council that she had increases in her Tax credits. As a result of her failure to report this change in her circumstances, she was overpaid Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit of £1,496.64. She will be required to pay a further £448.99 by way of the administration penalty.

• A 34 year old Chelmsley Wood woman was offered a Formal Caution after a successful investigation by Solihull Council. She had failed to report that she had been working for Birmingham City Council as a midday supervisor. She was overpaid Housing and Council Tax Benefit of £587.64 which she is repaying.

• A 58 year old single man from Solihull accepted a formal caution following a successful investigation by the Benefit Investigation team at Solihull Council. He failed to inform the council that he had commenced work. As a result of his failure to report this change in his circumstances, he was overpaid Housing and Council Tax Benefit of £1,350.94, which he has to repay.

• A 39 year old woman appeared before Birmingham Crown Court following a joint investigation by Solihull Jobcentreplus and Solihull M. B. C.’s investigation team . She had dishonestly failed to report changes in her circumstances, namely she had failed to report an increase in her original earnings and had taken a second job.. She pleaded guilty to these charges and was sentenced to a 24 month Community Order and was ordered to pay £400 costs . Overpayments of Income Support, Housing and Council Tax Benefits are now being recovered.

• A 65 year old single man from Chelmsley Wood accepted a Formal Caution following a successful investigation by the Benefit Investigation team at Solihull Council. He failed to inform the council that he had started to receive his state retirement pension. As a result of his failure to report this change in his circumstances, he was overpaid Housing and Council Tax Benefit of £1,254.78.

• A 27 year old woman from Chelmsley Wood accepted a formal caution following a successful investigation by the Benefit Investigation team at Solihull Council. She failed to inform the council that her partner had commenced work. As a result of her failure to report this change in her circumstances, she was overpaid Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit of £1,527.35 which she is now repaying.

• A 34 year old woman from Kingshurst accepted a formal caution following a successful investigation by the Benefit Investigation team at Solihull Council. She failed to inform the council that her partner had commenced work. As a result of her failure to report this change in her circumstances, she was overpaid Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit of £1,457.75.

• A 32 year old single woman from Solihull accepted a Formal Caution following a successful investigation by the Benefit Investigation team at Solihull Council. She failed to inform the council that she had commenced work and that she had been awarded Tax credits. As a result of her failure to report this change in her circumstances, she was overpaid Council Tax Benefit of £810.15.

• A 40 year old Kingshurst woman was offered a Formal Caution after a successful investigation by Solihull Council. She had failed to report that she had commenced work as a teaching assistant. In addition to this she is being asked to repay the £427.16 Housing and council Tax Benefit over paid to her.