Benefit cheat must repay £3,000

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A BENEFIT cheat from Warrington has been ordered to repay more than £3,000 after she falsely claimed council tax as a single person.
Zowie Speak, of Kinross Close, Cinnamon Brow, was living with her partner Kevin Speak when she claimed £3,236 in council tax benefit.
Speak, 31, pleaded guilty at Warrington Magistrate’s Court to benefit fraud and was ordered to pay back the full amount, as well as £60 costs and was ordered to complete 50 hours unpaid work.
The court heard Speak made the false claim between August 2002 and September 2006 and was prosecuted under Section 111A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992.
After the hearing, Adrian Webster, the council’s benefits manager, said: “It is important to remember that these are not victimless crimes. They are depriving services in Warrington of much needed money and resources. Anyone tempted to steal benefit should realise that councils have sophisticated methods of detecting fraud.”
Residents in Warrington can give information about alleged fraudsters free and in confidence on the National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 854 440.


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Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.

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