North Lincolnshire woman sentenced to 24 weeks in prison for benefit fraud

A Scunthorpe woman, who falsely claimed £30,500 worth of benefits as a single parent, has been jailed for 24 weeks. Kim Vennard, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced at Grimsby Crown Court on Friday August 7.
By Stephanie Bateman
Published 13th Aug 2015, 16:25 BST
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North Lincolnshire Council and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) investigated her for failing to declare she was living with a partner.

The evidence was so strong that the Crown Prosecution Service prosecuted on the DWP and council’s behalf.

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For more than three years (July 201 to January 2014), Kim Vennard fraudulently claimed:

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• £17,500 housing benefit

• £11,000 income support from the DWP

• £2,000 council tax benefit

Councillor Richard Hannigan, cabinet member for Policy and Finance, said: “The sentence demonstrates the seriousness of this case. Fraud is a crime and is punishable. It sends out a strong message that we will not tolerate fraud of any nature.

“Kim Vennard was taking money she was not entitled to and has been caught out, like many others.

“We work really well with the DWP in detecting and investigating fraud, which ultimately led to this prosecution. Let’s hope the sentence acts as a warning to others.”