Hertfordshire couple handed suspended sentence after £20,000 benefit fraud

A couple based in Shenley, Hertfordshire, were this week found guilty of “thoroughly dishonest and greedy” housing benefit and council tax support fraud, amounting to £20,000. 37-year-old Ines Da Silva and her partner, Gasonu Agogo, 38, were each handed eight-month suspended prison sentences at Harrow Crown Court and ordered to undergo 120 hours of unpaid work in the community having swindled Hertsmere Borough Council out of £20,000 between 9th June 2014 and January 3rd 2016.

Ms Da Silva had told Hertsmere Borough Council that she was unaware of the whereabouts of the father of her young children, however, it soon transpired that the pair were in fact living together and were not eligible for the thousands of pounds worth of housing benefit obtained during the 18-month period.

Da Silva reported to the Borough Council that she was living on her own at Blenheim Mews, Shenley with her young children and supplied fake tenancy agreements in May 2014 and May 2015 in a bid to obtain significant sums of housing benefit. Despite benefit officers growing suspicious of Da Silva’s living arrangements, she remained adamant throughout that she was unaware of Mr Agogo’s whereabouts.

It wasn’t until Hertfordshire’s Shared Anti-Fraud Service (SAFS) got its hands on the genuine tenancy agreement for the property that it was confirmed Mr Agogo had been cohabiting with Da Silva since January 2015 – paying the rent in full to the property’s landlord.

Ms Da Silva pleaded guilty to three counts of making false representations, as well as a further two for furnishing a false document. Meanwhile, Mr Agogo also pleaded guilty to two counts of forgery. To date, the couple has repaid £7,000 of the funds obtained when they were “determined to cheat the system”, according to Cllr John Graham, property portfolio holder, Hertsmere Borough Council.

“At a time when local government resources are finite, anyone who illegally claims support and benefits is taking help away from those who genuinely need it,” added Graham.