A benefit cheat from Hale falsely claimed nearly £25,000 after failing to tell the council that her landlord was also her father-in-law.
Saika Khalid of Old Meadow Lane, Hale, and formerly of Hale Road (above), was convicted of dishonestly obtaining housing benefit from Trafford Council amounting to £24,664.55.
The 35-year-old had declared that she was renting a room in the house on Hale Road but she failed to declare that her landlord was her father-in-law and it was deemed that the tenancy was not commercial.
This resulted in an overpayment of benefit between September 2008 and May 2012.
Khalid had entered a guilty plea at a previous hearing and was sentenced to 24 weeks in custody, suspended for one year, and is also required to observe a four-month curfew between the hours of 9pm to 6am with an electronic tag. She also has to pay £450 towards the cost of the prosecution.
Council counter fraud officers were alerted by an anonymous referral, and further investigation uncovered the truth about her relationship to her landlord.
Executive councillor for finance, Councillor Patrick Myers, said: “Once again Trafford Council’s determination to clamp down on benefit fraudsters has led to another successful prosecution. This kind of illegal activity will not be tolerated and the Council will use the courts to bring those found to be benefiting from money to which they are not entitled to justice.
“People must realise that if they provide inaccurate information when they submit their claims, or fail to advise us of changes in their circumstances and subsequently receive money fraudulently, the consequences will be extremely serious for them.”
Trafford Council is also recovering all of the monies that were obtained as a result of this offence from Khalid.
Anyone who wishes to report suspected benefit fraud should contact Trafford Council on 0161 912 2852, or via Freefone number 0800 328 6340.
