Community service? Only if it’s light work says dole cheat who had £86k
‘You abused the system’
A dole fraudster who has not had a job for 30 years agreed to do community service but only if it was ‘light work.’
Abdul Jalil, 64, claimed he had only £50 to his name so he could claim benefit when he actually had more than £86,000 in the bank.
The Bangladeshi immigrant has not worked since 1988 and exceeded the amount of cash claimants are allowed to have in 2008 when he was loaned £25,000 to buy his council house.
He did not notify the department for Work and Pensions and continued wrongly claiming benefits in excess of £28,000 over an eight-year period.
Jalil, who came to the UK in 1969 but speaks very little english, then lied to the DWP about his assets as he filled out his benefits review form on New Year’s eve 2012. He claims he cannot work because of his health, but a probation officer found the only problem he had is a slightly tender right knee.
Andrew Collings, defending, said Jalil ‘hasn’t worked himself for a number of years due to health difficulties’. Jalil told probation officers ‘he would do unpaid work as long as it’s light work’, and the judge ordered him to complete 120 hours. The father-of six had remortgaged his former council flat in May that year for roughly £148,000 and given the money to his children so they could purchase their own properties, keeping around £86,500 for himself.
Jalil, who the court heard is illiterate, appeared at the old Bailey yesterday to plead guilty after he and his barrister had a ‘man to man’ chat about the case, the court heard. Prosecutor Matthew Hardyman said it was not claimed that Jalil was dishonest ‘from the outset but on 31 december 2012 he was sent a review form to ensure that he was receiving the correct amount of benefits’. Jalil completed the form, informing the authorities he had only £50 when the ‘true picture was they had in excess of £86,000’, the prosecutor said. Sentencing guidelines recommend somewhere between 36 weeks and 21 months in prison for the offence as a starting point, but the judge, Recorder Sasha Wass QC, allowed Jalil to walk free with a sentence of 24 weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years.
The judge said: ‘This failure, extending over an eight- year period, resulted in overpayment of £28,771 of benefits to which you weren’t entitled.
‘Benefits in this country are provided to those who need it and are paid out of the public purse.
‘By failing to notify the authorities of your change in financial circumstances you abused that system over a long period, losing the public purse a great deal of money. However, I accept that you were not dishonest from the outset. I understand that you made full admissions when you were interviewed by the department for Work and Pensions.’
The judge said she accepted the submissions of a probation officer, who told the old Bailey Jalil was ‘deeply ashamed’ of what he had done. Having heard all about you, I propose to sentence you to 24 weeks imprisonment which will be suspended for two years.’
Mr Collings claimed Jalil’s ‘misguided sense of loyalty to the children’ led to the offending.
Jalil, of Moorgate, east london, admitted dishonestly failing to notify a change in circumstances.