A Nantwich man who fraudulently claimed benefits despite owning two canal boats worth £40,000 and having £130,000 in the bank has been ordered to repay £31,306.
Jonathan Caine, 54, falsely claimed Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Housing Benefit over a six-year period.
This is despite having cash in the bank and owning the Bonnie Jean and the Rose O’Lee boats, each worth around £20,000 each.
His crimes were unearthed following a criminal investigation by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Fraud and Error Service.
They found that between 2013 and 2018 Caine claimed local and state support meant for the most vulnerable in society while owning two canal boats.
The DWP-led investigation found not only did Caine fail to declare income, but he was also sitting on £130,000 of savings and £25,000 in Premium Bonds, making him ineligible for welfare.
Yesterday’s court hearing (May 11) established that Caine had made more than £64,000 in overall criminal benefit from the fraud.
A confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act will now seek to return this money to the public purse.
Of the total, £24,131.64 is for compensation to Brighton and Hove City Council.
Minister responsible for tackling fraud, Tom Pursglove MP, said: “We remain committed to cracking down on fraudsters who take money away from those who need our support most.
“This hearing should serve as a stark warning to anyone who believes they can conceal their own wealth while taking from the public purse.
“We will reclaim money stolen from the taxpayer, and through our Fraud Plan we will boost resources to save more than £9 billion over the next five years – weeding out fraudulent cases like this one while also toughening up our systems to prevent fraud in the first place.”
Caine failed to attend his initial hearing in August 2019 and was later arrested.
He eventually pleaded guilty to failing to declare a change of circumstances in June 2022 and was sentenced to a 12-month community order, including 40 hours of unpaid work.
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Will the same team that investigated him successfully now do the same over PPE contracts and Michelle Mone ect. Clearly very effective.