Addict jailed over £34,000 benefit fraud

A BENEFIT cheat fraudulently claimed nearly £34,000 over a three-year period – and partly used the cash to fund her drug addiction.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Charlene Hobbs received a total overpayment of £33,963.05 between November 2012 and June 2015.

During sentencing, Judge Jeremy Jenkins told Hobbs she had “a long record of dishonesty”.

The 28-year-old, from Fairhaven Close in St Mellons, Cardiff, admitted two counts of benefit fraud.

Prosecutor Byron Broadstock said single mum Hobbs had legitimately received income support, child tax credit and housing benefit into her Post Office account. But she failed to notify her local authority and the Department for Work and Pensions of a change in her family circumstances in November 2012. The court heard she declared in writing and at a meeting that there had been no change in her circumstances affecting her entitlement to benefits.

Mr Broadstock said she admitted the change in August 2015 but stated she did not believe she had done anything wrong.

Prosecutors said Hobbs had 11 previous convictions for 25 offences – mostly offences of dishonesty.

Karl Williams, defending, said his client was addicted to heroin, taking three bags a day, and had used some of the money to fund her addiction.

He added she had taken “active steps” to address her dependency by moving away from Grangetown to “divorce herself” from other drugs users she knew in the area.

He said his client suffered from mental health problems.

Hobbs was jailed for 28 weeks and ordered to pay a victim surcharge.