Bride admits to £22,000 benefit fraud

A young married woman has been given a suspended sentence after claiming that she was a struggling single mother of one, receiving benefits such as income support and housing benefit based upon her misrepresented lifestyle with her young daughter. Chanice Bowen aged 25 from Barry had married in 2013, but this had remained secret for three years until the situation came to light. The case was heard at Cardiff Crown Court.

An official investigation was launched after the bride posted pictures online of her wedding in a white dress, surrounded by captions relating to a happy life with her husband. The online album also included photos of her daughter and of a holiday abroad. Several images clearly showed a wedding day with guests and a happy groom, but the marriage had been kept a secret, and the income of her husband who was employed as a mechanic was not considered in her entitlement.

The final outcome was that Bowen just avoided immediate detention and the sentence handed down was ten months in jail, suspended for two years. Bowen will also have to pay back the full amount in question, which had been paid out over the course of approximately three years, and also sums toward the cost of prosecution. She will need to undertake 120 hours of unpaid work in addition.

One of the most common types of benefit fraud cases reviewed by the Department for Work and Pensions concerns individuals failing to report changes in their personal living situation, such as the addition of a new member of the household, which may materially affect the amount the individual is entitled to receive.

If you’d like to discuss the issues raised in this piece further, contact Benefit Fraud Solicitors for advice.