Benefit cheat was planning Caribbean holiday

9:28am Sunday 30th March 2008

A WOMAN who forgot to mention £12,000 in her bank account when claiming benefits, was planning a holiday in Barbados.

Samantha Burchell, 37, of Rylands Way, Wootton Bassett, pleaded guilty to two counts of benefit fraud at Chippenham Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

Burchell said she had no savings when she applied for housing and council tax benefits in 2001. But when North Wiltshire District Council noticed she had been paid interest by Her Majesty's Revenues and Customs (HMRC) on her bank account it decided to investigate.

Investigators visited Burchell at home and found that there were three previously undeclared accounts, one containing more than £12,000.

After the visit from the benefit investigators, Burchell withdrew £7,000 of the secret savings from the account, which she shared with her husband, to book the Caribbean holiday.

John Elliot, defending Burchell, told the court the savings were compensation her husband had received for an accident at work and his health was deteriorating. He said she thought of that money as her husband's and not hers.

He told the court that Burchell was deeply upset about the whole situation.

Mr Elliot confirmed that the family is due to go on holiday soon.

North Wiltshire District Council spokesman Paul Langcaster said: "Burchell had made several false statements when signing application forms for benefit.

"She had not declared any accounts and then selectively declared some accounts.

"It could be seen from the bank statements that Mrs Burchell had withdrawn £7,000 after the investigator's visit.

"She said she had done this to book a holiday and showed a receipt for a holiday in Barbados at an interview under caution."

Burchell pleaded guilty to overpayment of £7,240.25 of housing benefit and £1,542.10 of council tax benefit between February 2001 and December 2006.

Sentencing Burchell, magistrates took into account the fact that she had repaid some of the money and is continuing to pay back the debt.

But they said they were concerned that a large amount of money had been claimed dishonestly over a long period of time.

As well as being ordered to repay the money, Burchell was given a two-year conditional discharge and was told to pay £75 court costs.