Man spared jail after being 'forced by gangsters' to falsely claim benefits
A man has been accused of scrounging extra Universal Credit payments by wrongly claiming he had a dependant and needed help with rent.
Liam Barnett, 32, a drainage surveyor who lives alone in Warrington, Cheshire said he was in £4,000 in debt to hoodlums after developing a secret drug habit. Barnett claims he gave credentials to dealers so they could get back cash by making dishonest claims on his behalf and then keeping the money. At Warrington magistrates court Barnett pleaded guilty to five charges of retaining a wrongful credit to a bank account and was ordered to complete a 12-month community order after JPs accepted he was a victim of "coercion."
Barnett is required to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work and five days of rehabilitation activity with the probation service and was further ordered to pay £234 in costs and surcharge. The Department of Work and Pensions is expected to pursue Barnett to repayments, the sentence for retaining wrongful credit is 12 months.
The court heard the scheme took place between February 2019 and May 2021. Michael O'Kane, prosecuting, said: "Applications were made for Universal Credit on behalf of the defendant. They were fraudulent in nature and followed a similar nature." The initial claims were basic for advanced payments claiming Barnett lived alone and had no dependants or need of rental assistance. However, between 2019 and 2021, this application was amended to include dependant and rental assistance.
Man spared jail after being 'forced by gangsters' to falsely claim benefits (Liam Barnett/ Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)Mr. O'Kane added: "However there is perhaps an element of lesser culpability, given what he said in the presentence report, saying that there was an element of coercion involved in the conduct and given that he took part in providing his credentials and the fact that the fraud was committed in order to pay off a drug debt."
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He said that the offence falls "just shot of passing the custody threshold," and that the DWP would need to recover the funds themselves. Barnett solicitor Simon Dunn said his client had been introduced to the drug dealers through someone he considered a good friend at the time which he now believes was a "misplaced trust." Due to Barnett's financial struggles because of his drug addiction, Barnett's solicitor claimed that the original claims for Universal Credit were not dishonest but the additional payments received were.
Mr Dunn added: "He had a drug debt of £4,000 at the time and certainly, there was pressure put upon him at that point in time. But his life has since changed considerably and clearly for the better. He has moved on from that peer group. He is sober and drug and alcohol-free. He is about to start a new job and is hoping to train as a paramedic.
"What comes through quite clearly is his remorse. He understands his behaviour in that period of time, in doing what he did, was entirely inappropriate and entirely wrong. He is remorseful. He understands that what he did was wrong. He has removed the drugs from his life and changed his lifestyle." Sentencing Barnett, JP Jeffrey Dodd said the offence was "serious" and false claims even through coercion "depleted" funs for those in "genuine need." However, he concluded that Barnett wasn't at a low risk of reoffending.
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