Lancashire nurse and her husband made £30,000 in benefits ID scam

A former NHS nurse and her husband created faux sick notes within the names of unsuspecting neighbours to falsely declare £30,000 in advantages.

Jobless couple Amanda Heseltine, 34, and Richard Connell, 45, gathered particulars of these residing close to them throughout door-to-door gross sales rounds.

Utilizing solid sick notes, they then claimed earnings help, employment help allowance, jobseekers allowance and social fund funds within the names of 23 individuals.

Over a 3 yr interval, 1000's in taxpayers' money was then paid into financial institution accounts arrange by the pair - as they frittered cash away on partying.

Amanda Heseltine and Richard Connell made 1000's via a advantages identification rip-off

Heseltine and Connell, each of Nelson, Lancashire, have been each jailed for 2 years this week after every admitted 23 counts of fraud totalling £30,500 between April 2013 and March 2016.

The couple - who've been collectively 16 years and have earlier convictions for dishonesty - have been already receiving state handouts together with housing profit with Connell getting employment help allowance as a consequence of a leg damage. Neither should pay any a reimbursement - as a result of they insist they're broke.

Prosecutor Amanda Johnson stated of the 23 individuals whose particulars have been stolen: 'Their identities have been hijacked by the defendants who used them to make fraudulent advantages claims for earnings help, employment help allowance, jobseekers allowance and social fund funds.

'Purposes varieties have been accomplished and submitted for various advantages by the defendants, together with doctored or solid medical certificates. 

'They made telephone calls posing as real clients and despatched correspondence to the related departments. They operated a variety of financial institution accounts into which funds have been made.'

She stated the victims all knew the couple 'personally or not directly' however did not realise their identities had been used within the rip-off.

The couple - who've a string of earlier convictions - have each been jailed over the rip-off

Heseltine informed her mates on Fb that she wished to have one large evening out earlier than she was jailed. The court docket heard the couple cannot pay again the money as a result of they're broke

The court docket heard Connell had 86 earlier offences on his report while Heseltine had 15 offences.

Defence lawyer Richard Taylor stated: 'They settle for there was an unlawful alternative to become profitable and use their data of the advantages system to make the related claims in quite a lot of methods. 

'It will have been unattainable for them to do this with out detailed info from every particular person.

'They settle for they're each equally concerned over a three-year interval they usually stored 50 per cent of the monies obtained illegally.

'That is why it was paid into completely different accounts over which the victims had no management. The sophistication seems to be their very own data of the advantages system. That they had no trappings of luxurious.'

Jobless Connell and his companion used solid sick notes to say a variety of state advantages

Passing sentence the choose Mr Recorder Nick Clarke, QC, informed the couple: 'You have been each in receipt of advantages designed to be ample to fulfill all wants like warmth, mild, heat and clothes. Sadly, you might be hardened criminals, who search to take advantage of no matter system you may to extract cash in as many various methods as you may.

'You recognized a vulnerability within the processes that you just sought to take advantage of. You used your inside data of the workings of the assorted schemes and every part else you knew about how claims will be made and the way funds will be diverted to accounts over which you might have management.

'You persistently and persistently made fraudulent claims - it was virtually on a business scale.'

Apparently conscious she confronted jail, Heseltine informed all her mates she was going out for an enormous evening in town final week.

She wrote on Fb: 'Final weekend peeps for some time so its gonna be emotional... Im popping out tnite mite as effectively exit with a bang!!!! Want one final time with all my nearest simply gonna paint on the smile and dance my ass off.'

 

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