Benefit Cheats Face Up To 10 Years In Jail

[super jumbe]

Benefit cheats will face increased jail terms of up to 10 years in a crackdown on those who "flout the system", Britain's most senior prosecutor has said.

Keir Starmer QC warned it was time for a "tough stance" against the perpetrators of benefit and tax credit fraud as he set out new guidelines for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The Director of Public Prosecutions said the ?1.9bn annual cost of the crime to the taxpayer should be at the "forefront of lawyers' minds" when considering whether a prosecution was in the public interest.

Suspects can now be charged under the Fraud Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, the CPS said.

In the past, benefit cheats have often been pursued under specific social security legislation which carries a maximum term of seven years.

A financial threshold which prevented benefit fraud cases of less than ?20,000 from being sent to crown court will also be abolished, the CPS said.

Professionally planned frauds, the use of a false or stolen identity and cases involving attempts to dispose of the evidence will also be targeted.

Benefit fraud of less than ?20,000 was previously automatically allocated to magistrates courts, which can hand out maximum sentences of only 12 months.

The financial threshold will now be abolished, bringing the prosecution of benefit fraud in line with the prosecution of other fraud cases, the CPS said.

Last year, the CPS saw more than 8,600 prosecutions in benefit and tax credit cases, along with 4,000 in the first five months of this year, Mr Starmer said.

The current conviction rate is 89.7%, he added.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/benefit-cheats-face-10-years-jail-013751750.html#OuHuXy5

[GastonJ]

Aye get less for murder. IDS has done his bit for the Tory cause...

[GastonJ]

I'm just wondering who the Tories can blame next for their failure to get he country back on track.

The blind for not getting a job driving, which they could do perfectly well with a Greyhound running in front, can imagine that many Tory MP's would like them as chauffeurs (although they're all working as taxi drivers really)
The deaf for not taking jobs in the music industry - after all Beethoven did a pretty good job *shrug*
Dead people for just laying around all day. They should all get jobs, nothing wrong with them.

MP's who make fraudulent expenses claims will of course not be subject to any restrictions.

[Meat-Head]

just got in eating tea, can anybody be bothered to reasearch that spend 10 years in gaol for robbing 20k but costs tax payer ?45575656565656565 to keep you there

[super jumbe]

just got in eating tea, can anybody be bothered to reasearch that spend 10 years in gaol for robbing 20k but costs tax payer ?45575656565656565 to keep you there

Meaty I am still working on that figure of ?45575656565656565 I will keep you all posted

[GastonJ]

just got in eating tea, can anybody be bothered to reasearch that spend 10 years in gaol for robbing 20k but costs tax payer ?45575656565656565 to keep you there

How do you eat a drink? I'm curious and I guess other people will be as well. ?45575656565656565 is like ?4557565656565656.50 a year, or ?379797138047138 a month no wonder my tax bill is so high, close the prisons and kill all the prisoners, or just deport them to somewhere like Australia, save a fortune and Australia won't notice

[firemouth]

just got in eating tea, can anybody be bothered to reasearch that spend 10 years in gaol for robbing 20k but costs tax payer ?45575656565656565 to keep you there

they don't care about costs.

It's about peddling bile and hatred. and as the Tory's are so brave (as with any cowards) they choose the weakest to pick on.

but, my guess is these people will be put in gaol, then convert the prisons to "poor or workhouses".

its especially galling as many of the Tory "grandees" cream millions of ? charging massive rent for substandard housing, via the benefits system.
something, i note, this government is doing nothing about.

Ps, whoopeeeeeeeeeeeee, and Englishman who can spell gaol properly. I'm pig sick of seeing Jail (American spelling)

[super jumbe]

Just scare mongering tactics if you ask me, look how many murder case people only charged between 4 & 7 years and they out there again.

Only way I can see is to sent them to work in coal mine 6 days for 5 years with only small wage to be able to feed him self.

[GastonJ]

Only way I can see is to sent them to work in coal mine 6 days for 5 years with only small wage to be able to feed him self.

You'd be very lucky to get a job in a cola mine - you seem to forget the last conservative government closed most of them and there are only about 3 deep coal mines left working in the UK. Bet Arthur still gets his pension tho....

[Meat-Head]

Ps, whoopeeeeeeeeeeeee, and Englishman who can spell gaol properly. I'm pig sick of seeing Jail (American spelling)

OFF TOPIC:-

Never knew Jail was an Emerican way of spelling where the Inglish is Gaol.

Rumor states back in the year *COUGH* read a book at skool called "Hobsons Choice" - can only remeber the title and the word 'Gaol Bait'

[Wolfpack]

10 years? That will never happen here in America cause then they couldn't vote for the Demorat liberal party. Something has to be done. Maybe they can take away your right to vote if you get welfare. Too many people not working and bleeding the people who work dry.

[firemouth]

10 years? That will never happen here in America cause then they couldn't vote for the Demorat liberal party. Something has to be done. Maybe they can take away your right to vote if you get welfare. Too many people not working and bleeding the people who work dry.

none organised fraud is tiny, well in comparison to the budget for welfare.
stopping it would make no, perceptible, difference to the overall cost, to us tax payers.

organised fraud, most often perpetrated by wealthy working people, is indeed a problem.
but the figures are still small. (again in comparison with the overall budget)

its not the fact the government is taking action, that's the problem for me. its the suggestion, feverishly peddled by this government, that all benefit recipients are scrounging fiddlers.
made even worse by the fact that welfare dependency was set up by the Tory government of M Thatch3r. to keep wages low and reduce workers power.

[Canker_Canison]

Last year, the CPS saw more than 8,600 prosecutions in benefit and tax credit cases, along with 4,000 in the first five months of this year, Mr Starmer said.

So if all these people have to spend upto 10 years in prison, where will all the current prisoners go?

Do they just release the scum to make way for these low priority offenders?..

[PremierD]

You can rape us stab us murder us .... but FFS don't try and take our money .. fraud costs us say 1 billion .. unclaimed benefits .. twice that but they do not mention that does not score any brownie points , keep the minions barefoot starving or in the tower, so that they get to know their place in life . typical Tory ethos . (****ers) ....

[firemouth]

You'd be very lucky to get a job in a cola mine

I have to ask!
Where were Britain's Cola mines?