Archived press release

Date Published: 14/11/06

Aylesbury Vale District Council’s continued crackdown on benefit fraudsters has resulted in the conviction of a Zimbabwean asylum seeker who failed to notify the council that he was working despite claiming housing and council tax benefits. ...

Aylesbury Vale District Council’s continued crackdown on benefit fraudsters has resulted in the conviction of a Zimbabwean asylum seeker who failed to notify the council that he was working despite claiming housing and council tax benefits.

Colen Mabvuva, of Ceely Road, Aylesbury, was given 120 hours community service and also ordered to pay £300 in costs when he appeared before town magistrates yesterday (13 November). He had pleaded guilty to fraudently claiming £4,104.09 in housing benefit and £298.30 in council tax benefit at Aylesbury Magistrates Court last month.

Mr Mabvuva, 38, had been claiming housing and council tax benefit since 2004 on the basis that he was a student and receiving a student grant. He came to the UK in 2002 and began training as a nurse while working shifts for Phoenix Healthcare and Recruitment in Aylesbury.

Mabvuva’s wife started work at the same employer in June 2005. In November 2004, Mabvuva and his wife signed a housing benefit claim form stating neither of them worked, and a similar form a year later.

The fraud was brought to the council’s attention when officers cross-checked Mabvuva’s benefit claims with the Department for Work and Pensions records.

Councillor Margaret Morgan-Owen, Cabinet Member for Resources, was pleased that the council had secured another successful benefit fraud prosecution. “This is another success story for our benefit fraud team in bringing a fraudster to justice. We are committed to the prevention and detection of benefit fraud and will prosecute those people who offend within our district,” she said.

“If someone is illegally claiming benefit it is coming out of the public purse and that is not acceptable. Customers who decide to commit benefit fraud should be aware of the actions that we can take against them if they are caught,” she added.

Every year the council’s fraud investigation team review hundreds of cases working with the Department for Work and Pensions, Inland Revenue, Home Office, police and other councils. This leads to recovery action for hundreds of thousands of pounds. Fraudsters face formal caution, an administrative penalty (fine) or prosecution which can lead to a custodial sentence.

Anyone with information about suspected fraud is encouraged to call the council’s 24-hour hotline in confidence on 01296 585570 or the shared fraud hotline run by the Department for Work and Pensions on behalf of local authorities on 0800 328 6430 and help us combat benefit fraud.