A ‘disgraceful’ abuse of system
Man fraudulently claimed almost £170,000
A Slough man who fraudulently claimed almost £170,000 in direct payments has received two suspended sentences.
Aamer Pervez, 43, of Arborfield Close, appeared at Reading Crown Court on Friday, March 15 and pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud, contrary to Section 1 and Section 3 of the Fraud Act 2006, by not disclosing information he had a legal duty to disclose when making his application(s) for direct payments.
Direct payments are payments which are from a local authority to buy in a person’s own care services.
They are assessed in terms of care a person needs and with regards to means.
In November 2014, Pervez completed a financial circumstances application form and, based on the information he gave, he was advised that he would not need to make any financial contribution to his care package.
The capital threshold for receipt of direct payments is £23,250.
Pervez, in signing the form, declared that the information was correct and true and accepted that he had a duty to report any changes in his circumstances.
But he bought a second property at Nova House in 2016 and did not declare it then, nor at an annual review in 2017, which would have meant he was ineligible to receive direct payments.
An investigation into the payments started following a referral to the council’s corporate fraud team from the adult social care team, who had concerns.
It was then found that Pervez had bought a third property in Arborfield Close in 2021 and started renting out his first home in Victoria Street.
In total, he was getting £1,800 a month in undeclared rent and neither of these changes were reported to the council.
The court heard how
Pervez failed to declare his true financial circumstances over a six-year period between August 24 2016 and December 16 2022, and received £169,435.42, which he was not entitled to.
Marc Gadsby, the council’s executive director of people (adults), provided a witness statement which was read in court and explained how Pervez’s actions had impacted others in Slough.
The statement read: “This money could have been used to provide the following: care come provision for one adult for 3.5 years, or employment of three social workers, or provision of domiciliary care to vulnerable people in their homes for 9,000 hours.
“The fraudulently obtained payments made to Aamer Pervez meant the money was not available in our budget, directly affecting the residents of Slough who are entitled to adult social care and the provisions available to them.”
Summing up, judge HHJ Khan said the offence was serious and would merit a custodial sentence but took into account Pervez’s health issues and family commitments.
Pervez was given a 19month custodial sentence, suspended for two years for count one, and for count two he received the same sentence, to run concurrently.
He must also go to 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days within a 12month period.
The council plans to use the proceeds of crime legislation to recover the stolen money and will also claim for costs at the end of those proceedings.
Councillor Anna Wright, lead member for public health, social care and wellbeing, said: “This is a disgraceful abuse of a system which is designed to help those in need to get the care they need.
“The impact this fraud has had on the lives of other Slough residents cannot be overstated.
“The money he fraudulently claimed equates to 9,000 hours of care, which others could have benefited from.
“He had many opportunities over the years to admit the truth, but instead he continued with his lies about his financial and living situation.
“We will be pursuing him for all the money he received fraudulently.
“We hope this case acts as a reminder to anyone claiming a benefit, to ensure they report any change in circumstances, in case it affects their eligibility.”