0:00:01 > 0:00:03This programme tracks down thieves.
0:00:03 > 0:00:08It exposes fraudsters and it brings help to those who really deserve it.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10This is the frontline against benefit fraud.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13This is Saints And Scroungers.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39Saints and Scroungers is all about busting benefit thieves
0:00:39 > 0:00:43who steal millions every year, and the crack teams of investigators
0:00:43 > 0:00:46determined to scupper their devious scams.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50And we also shine a light on those who genuinely need the money
0:00:50 > 0:00:54and the people who help them get it. They are our saints.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58The saints get help and the fraudsters get their come-uppance.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Coming up on today's show, the woman who claimed she was a struggling single mother
0:01:02 > 0:01:05but used £75,000 of taxpayers' money
0:01:05 > 0:01:08to fund a series of luxury holidays abroad.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12The holidays were just amazing, they're not something you'd ever dream of going on yourself,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15so to actually see them was just unbelievable.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18And we meet a brave young woman who's battled all her life
0:01:18 > 0:01:21to achieve her dream of becoming a lawyer.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Two days after I'd done my exams I went into hospital.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27I remember getting my results in hospital and celebrating
0:01:27 > 0:01:29with a Diet Coke and some Skittles.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Could a four-legged friend be the lifeline she needs?
0:01:36 > 0:01:40Now, we'd all like to jet off on exotic foreign holidays
0:01:40 > 0:01:42or take the credit card out on a spending spree.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46But most of us realise that life's luxuries don't come free.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Some people, though, don't think they should have to pay for them
0:01:49 > 0:01:52when the likes of you and me, the taxpayer, could foot the bill.
0:01:55 > 0:01:56Meet Jennifer Baiden,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00an apparently honest single mum from Newham in east London.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05She says she needs help to pay the bills
0:02:05 > 0:02:08after her boyfriend left her nine years ago.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14But it looks like Jennifer may not be as honest as she seems.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19She's suspected of happily ripping off the taxpayer to the tune of nearly £75,000.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25I've come to Newham to find out more about this suspicious-sounding case.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Emma Vick works for Newham Council.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35It's her job to stop benefit fraud in the borough,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39so the inquiry into Jennifer Baiden is her responsibility,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42along with thousands of other cases every year.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46The London borough of Newham, what's it like?
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Newham is very diverse, very young population,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53very transient, lots of people moving in and out.
0:02:53 > 0:02:54And a lot of unemployment.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58- It's certainly not an affluent area, is it?- Certainly not, very deprived.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Got just over 101,000 households in the borough.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03And of those, how many people are claiming benefits?
0:03:03 > 0:03:07- Just over 42,000.- Wow. I mean, that's 42%, give or take, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09- That is very high, isn't it?- It is.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10What does that cost the council each year?
0:03:10 > 0:03:13We spend just under £300 million a year in benefits.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15- Gordon Bennett, it's a lot of money! - It is.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22Emma's job is to make sure that that £300 million only goes to the people
0:03:22 > 0:03:25that really deserve it, but sadly some of those claimants are guilty
0:03:25 > 0:03:29of working the system and nicking cash that isn't rightfully theirs.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33Obviously wherever you're handing out money, anywhere in the world,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36giving people benefits, it's inevitable you are going to get people
0:03:36 > 0:03:38- who try and defraud the system. - Mm-hm.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40- You run the fraud system here, don't you?- I do.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42How much did you recoup last year?
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Last year my team uncovered £1.5 million-worth of benefit fraud.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48That's an awful lot of money you've got back,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52- but how does it compare in relation to the fraud out there? - It's just the tip of the iceberg.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Emma and the fraud team suspected
0:03:57 > 0:04:00that Jennifer Baiden is one of these fraudsters.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05She first submitted a claim for income support in August, 1999.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08In it, she said she was living with a partner
0:04:08 > 0:04:11but failed to fill in the section about his income,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14so on this occasion, her application was denied.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21Six months later in February, 2000, she submitted another application.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Chantel Mathurin was the fraud investigator in charge of this case,
0:04:26 > 0:04:31and on review she noticed that this claim reported some big changes
0:04:31 > 0:04:34in Jennifer's circumstances.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36On this application form for income support,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40she didn't declare a partner, she said that he had gone abroad.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43She declared that she was a single parent now
0:04:43 > 0:04:45and had no other means of income.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51This time, Jennifer's application for income support was successful.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55And she was also found to be eligible for several extra benefits.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59Mrs Jennifer Baiden continued to receive income support
0:04:59 > 0:05:03from 2000 to 2009, so for nine years.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06She also received housing benefits and council tax benefit
0:05:06 > 0:05:08from the London borough of Newham.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13In total, she received £74,800 for income support,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16housing benefit and council tax benefit.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22£75,000 over nine years is a lot of money.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24But as a struggling single mum,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27it was help that she was, in theory, entitled to.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31And it all seemed fine until one day in 2009.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35A man turned up at the local Jobcentre and put in a claim
0:05:35 > 0:05:37for income support.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42News of this claim soon reached the Newham fraud team.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46The gentleman went into the Jobcentre and made claims
0:05:46 > 0:05:49purporting to be living at the address behind us
0:05:49 > 0:05:51in Plaistow, Newham.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56The address this man gave was the same as Jennifer Baiden's.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01The Department For Work And Pensions, who run Britain's Jobcentres,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04decided to run a check on the property.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Checks were made with the benefit assessors
0:06:07 > 0:06:10and they confirmed that on the claim forms
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Mrs Baiden only declared herself as living in the property.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17This was all the fraud team needed to hear.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21If Jennifer Baiden had lied on her benefit claim form,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24there was a real danger that she was receiving benefits illegally.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28When the DWP reported that the man from the Jobcentre
0:06:28 > 0:06:32was also called Baiden, a full investigation kicked into gear.
0:06:32 > 0:06:33The Department for Work and Pensions
0:06:33 > 0:06:37needed to find out who this gentleman actually was.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41The fact that he had the same surname as her wouldn't necessarily mean that it was a partner,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44it could've been another member of her family.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47So they needed to find out the exact nature of their relationship
0:06:47 > 0:06:51and how long this gentleman had been living with her.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56If this mysterious Mr Baiden was for instance Jennifer's brother,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58who was staying with his sister while he looked for a job,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00there wouldn't have been a problem.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04But if he was her husband, living full-time with his family
0:07:04 > 0:07:06and footing the bills,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09then the £75,000 she had received of income support,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11housing benefit and council tax benefits
0:07:11 > 0:07:16was looking suspiciously like money obtained under false pretences.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21So the team needed to find out more information
0:07:21 > 0:07:24about Mrs Baiden's circumstances in view of this new development.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28They discovered that before he had contacted the Jobcentre,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Mr Baiden had been making a decent wage
0:07:30 > 0:07:34working as a chauffeur for some very wealthy clients.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37So, this chauffeur's job, we're not talking about a minicab driver
0:07:37 > 0:07:38on a Friday night, are we?
0:07:38 > 0:07:40No, he was working for a high-end London company,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44so he'd be going to top-class London hotels, picking up by appointment,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46going to corporate dinners, things like that,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and chauffeuring some probably quite wealthy people around London.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Normally when you've got that sort of job,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- you're talking about big bucks in tips.- I would think so, yes.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58- Any idea what he was earning?- He was earning on average about £750 a week,
0:07:58 > 0:08:02- which works out a minimum of £40,000 in the year.- Wow.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Now that they knew that Mr Baiden was a high earner,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Jennifer Baiden's benefit claims
0:08:08 > 0:08:12and the story that she'd told Newham Council looked increasingly dodgy.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16OK, I want you to hold your horses here for just a second.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Jennifer Baiden may not have been living alone as she had claimed.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24A man who has the same surname as her and who's working as a chauffeur for the rich
0:08:24 > 0:08:26was also claiming to live at the same address.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29But this doesn't prove anything was wrong.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35What the investigation team needed now was some hard evidence
0:08:35 > 0:08:37to link Jennifer and this Mr Baiden.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41And that evidence came in the pretty conclusive form of their marriage certificate,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45which the team unearthed in the local register office.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49From the certificate, we can tell that the residence at the time
0:08:49 > 0:08:54of the marriage for both Mr Baiden and Mrs Baiden was the same.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01For now, it's farewell to the fraudsters and hello to the people
0:09:01 > 0:09:04we call our saints - those who are in genuine need of help
0:09:04 > 0:09:09but are too proud or don't know how to claim what is rightfully theirs,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12and the people who point them in the right direction.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17When you're a child and you've got your whole life ahead of you,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19you can be whoever you want to be.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22But just imagine trying to achieve your dream
0:09:22 > 0:09:27when even a simple task like making a cup of tea is a daily struggle.
0:09:29 > 0:09:3327-year-old Kate Dowding has suffered with arthritis
0:09:33 > 0:09:35since she was a child.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Throughout her life, she's had to undergo a series of painful operations,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42including a double hip replacement before she was 12.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Despite her illness,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Kate has always tried to lead as normal a life as possible.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52I was determined to show that I could do just as well
0:09:52 > 0:09:54as everyone else, if not better.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Kate had set her heart on becoming a lawyer
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and passed her all her exams with flying colours,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02and won a place at university.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07My parents were really proud of me. They'd always supported me
0:10:07 > 0:10:10through my GCSEs and A-levels. They were really pleased
0:10:10 > 0:10:13that I got into the university that I wanted to get to.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20But soon after her A-level results came through,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Kate's mother passed away after a three-year battle with cancer.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31She was told she had two weeks and she hung on for six.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35And I think part of that was kind of seeing my A-level results
0:10:35 > 0:10:36and what have you.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40Kate and her dad soldiered on together.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43For the first year, she managed an exhausting schedule,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46being looked after by her father at home
0:10:46 > 0:10:48and by a series of carers at university,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50paid for by the benefits system.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54That was sort of a blessing and a curse in a way,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56because it meant that people didn't really talk to me,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58cos I was always with my assistant.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03It's hard to imagine just how difficult life must have been for Kate,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05but then, in her darkest hour,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09she got a glimpse of something that could turn her life around.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11She was at home watching television
0:11:11 > 0:11:16when a programme came on featuring a charity called Canine Partners.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Owen, get the washing. Go on, get it. Good girl.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23They provide assistance dogs, trained to perform a whole range of tasks
0:11:23 > 0:11:26to help people to disabilities.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Those dogs are really sought after.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31How much hope did you hold out for getting one?
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Well, when I first applied,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36I honestly thought it was quite a low chance,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39there would probably be people far more deserving than me.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43But I was absolutely thrilled to be invited up to the training centre.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47The assessment days are the chance for the partners to come and learn
0:11:47 > 0:11:49about what having one of our dogs is about,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53and it's our chance to assess people that are interested in having a dog.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56We need to be sure that the dog's welfare will be met by that person,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59we'll also be looking at their ability to motivate the dog
0:11:59 > 0:12:03and to get it to work for them and to focus on them.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Kate passed all these tests with flying colours,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09and within a couple of months they'd matched her up with Zara,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11a one-year-old Labrador.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16I met Zara on one of the assessment days.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19And we just clicked. She definitely chose me.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23Kate and Zara went from strength to strength,
0:12:23 > 0:12:27and in 2008 she graduated with a 2:1 degree in Law.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Through sheer courage and perseverance,
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Kate's dream of becoming a lawyer was about to come true.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40In September, 2010, she got a job as a trainee solicitor
0:12:40 > 0:12:43and went up to Birmingham for a three-day induction course.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Dad had come with me as my carer.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51We were waiting at the train station to come home from that,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53and Dad just collapsed
0:12:53 > 0:12:56and unfortunately the paramedics couldn't revive him
0:12:56 > 0:12:58and he passed away from heart failure.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03It was horrible.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06It was probably the worst day of my life, to be honest,
0:13:06 > 0:13:08and it was just so sudden.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13There was no warning and I'd been so reliant on my dad.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17It just turned my life completely upside down.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19So how are things now, then?
0:13:19 > 0:13:23They're still difficult, obviously it's still fairly recent
0:13:23 > 0:13:27and very raw for me. But it has been a difficult year.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Kate's new employers made arrangements to transfer her
0:13:31 > 0:13:35to their Bristol office, and in March, 2011,
0:13:35 > 0:13:36she finally started work.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39It's really good to know that I've been reliant on benefits
0:13:39 > 0:13:42for quite a few years, because of my disability
0:13:42 > 0:13:46and sort of taking from the system, really, but it's good to know
0:13:46 > 0:13:47that I'm putting something back now
0:13:47 > 0:13:49and I'm not relying on the benefits as much.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Good girl.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Although Kate's largely done away with her benefits,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56we are still giving her a helping hand
0:13:56 > 0:13:59through the Government's Access To Work scheme.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02The scheme assesses the needs of each disabled person,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05then it pays for specific items that will help them work
0:14:05 > 0:14:07alongside their colleagues.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10We've obtained the wheelchair.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13We're also looking into some voice recognition software for her.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Everything has the aim
0:14:15 > 0:14:18of ensuring Kate has a normal working environment
0:14:18 > 0:14:21and she's able to do everything that all of us can do in the office.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26How do you see the future now?
0:14:26 > 0:14:30I think it's a lot brighter with Zara than I thought it would be before.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Even through everything that's happened with Dad
0:14:34 > 0:14:36and what have you in the last year,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39I still see a future for myself.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44Hopefully, you know, in law and with a good career.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Back now to the world of the scrounger,
0:14:50 > 0:14:54and the case against benefit cheat Jennifer Baiden is heating up.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57The discovery of her marriage certificate was the first piece
0:14:57 > 0:15:01of concrete proof that Jennifer was not all she seemed.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06Posing as a hard-up single mum whose boyfriend has left her with a child,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09this suspected fraudster has been hiding the fact
0:15:09 > 0:15:12that she's been living with a bloke who turns out to be her husband,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15on top of that, the father of her child,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18and to rub salt into the wounds, also has a well-paid job.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Newham Council and the Department For Work And Pensions suspect
0:15:24 > 0:15:27that Jennifer has been falsely claiming income support,
0:15:27 > 0:15:32housing benefit and council tax benefit to the tune of £75,000.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38Emma Vick has been leading the investigation on behalf of the council.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Basically we joint work with the Department Of Work And Pensions.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45They investigate income support and we investigate housing benefit and council tax benefit.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49So when one of us finds a fraud that has all of those benefits,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51we tend to joint work so we can make sure
0:15:51 > 0:15:55the whole of the criminality is investigated in one case,
0:15:55 > 0:15:59- so it saves time...- You've pooled your resources, basically.- Yes.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Joining forces has paid off.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05After months of careful investigation,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07it was time for the police to move in.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11The Department For Work And Pensions believed they had enough information
0:16:11 > 0:16:14to go in and arrest Mrs Baiden
0:16:14 > 0:16:17and then looked to interview her under caution.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21They arrested her with the police, who then searched her premises.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26The police search of her flat uncovered vital evidence
0:16:26 > 0:16:29that left the investigators in no doubt that,
0:16:29 > 0:16:33far from struggling to make ends meet on her benefits,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Jennifer Baiden was living the high life.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40They found evidence that she'd been on quite a few nice holidays while she'd been claiming benefits.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45You can see here that she went on holiday to Jamaica, it was in 2008.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48And this is a woman who supposedly is living life on the breadline?
0:16:48 > 0:16:50- That's right.- Gordon Bennett!
0:16:50 > 0:16:52She also went another trip in Jamaica the same year,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55- so she actually went to Jamaica twice in one year. - Two a year?!
0:16:55 > 0:16:57I don't believe my ears!
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Two Caribbean holidays in 12 months?
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Who does she think she is, Coleen Rooney?!
0:17:03 > 0:17:05And that wasn't all.
0:17:05 > 0:17:11She also went to Canada in 2007, and that was also nearly £2,000.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13We're not talking about two weeks camping in Skegness!
0:17:13 > 0:17:16No. The holiday themselves were just amazing.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20They're not something you'd ever dream of going on, so to see them was unbelievable.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23All of a sudden we've got a woman who's not just abusing the system,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27- she's having luxury holidays, more than one a year.- That's right, yes.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30She's sticking her fingers up at every decent taxpayer in the country.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33It's just obscene. It's just saying, "I can do what I want,
0:17:33 > 0:17:34"and you're going to pay for it."
0:17:34 > 0:17:37- Yeah, and every other mug out there.- That's right, yeah.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40But then came the piece de resistance.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44The police search also uncovered some copies of Jennifer's bank statements,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47and what they contained was dynamite.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50The team knew that Mr Baiden had a high-paying job as a chauffeur,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53but they couldn't prove that he was contributing
0:17:53 > 0:17:55to Jennifer's household. Until now.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59This is his wages here from the company he was working for,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03and this is her bank account, so this shows that his money is going into her bank account
0:18:03 > 0:18:05- and then it's available for her to spend.- She's got that income
0:18:05 > 0:18:08going into her bank account and she's not telling you about it?
0:18:08 > 0:18:11That's right. And those figures there are his wages,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13and you can see they're going in every fortnight.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17It's all a far cry from the sorry picture Jennifer's been painting
0:18:17 > 0:18:21of an abandoned women struggling to get by on her own.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23So let's just get this straight.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25All the time she's claiming to be a single mum
0:18:25 > 0:18:27with absolutely no income at all,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30yet she's out there earning a rather handsome wage
0:18:30 > 0:18:34and paying a considerable chunk of it directly into her bank account.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40The DWP now had direct proof that Jennifer Baiden had been lying.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43While they were searching her flat, Jennifer was waiting
0:18:43 > 0:18:47to be interviewed at Forest Gate Police Station in east London.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53The first thing the DWP wanted to know
0:18:53 > 0:18:57was how she had funded her extravagant lifestyle.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00When she was asked how she managed to afford
0:19:00 > 0:19:02to pay for these foreign holidays,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06she informed that family members had given her the money
0:19:06 > 0:19:07to go abroad.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11The next question they wanted answering
0:19:11 > 0:19:15was what exactly was her relationship to Mr Baiden.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Remember, they've already found her marriage certificate,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21but on her benefit application, she said she was single
0:19:21 > 0:19:24and was bringing up their child alone.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27This time round, she had a different story.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31She stated that she had married him in a traditional African ceremony
0:19:31 > 0:19:33and that it wasn't a legal marriage.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37She also said that he frequented the property from time to time
0:19:37 > 0:19:39and looked after the children,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43but didn't permanently reside at the property with her.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Not a legal marriage? Pull the other one.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49That certificate looks like the real deal to me.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52And as for not living at the property, it didn't look like that
0:19:52 > 0:19:54when the police went round.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57A number of documents were uncovered when the property,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00which is the block of flats behind me, was searched by the police.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Some of those documents included bank statements
0:20:03 > 0:20:05in the name of Mr Baiden at the address.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11Also found were male clothing in the main bedroom
0:20:11 > 0:20:14and male grooming products in the bathroom.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19It's looking like our single mum is about as single
0:20:19 > 0:20:23as a double cheeseburger. But that's not all.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26See, as well as keeping that small matter of having a husband quiet,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29it looks like Jennifer was keeping shtum about something else.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35For the time being, Jennifer Baiden was released on bail,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37but ordered to return six months later.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41This gave Newham Council time to build up their case,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45and there was one big question that needed answering.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48When the police showed up at Jennifer's flat with their search warrant,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52they found her with not just one, but two children.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54A call to the local register office
0:20:54 > 0:20:59revealed that this second child had the same father as the first.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Good old Mr Baiden.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04This child was born in October, 2003,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08three years after Jennifer had declared on her benefit application
0:21:08 > 0:21:13that he had upped and left her and that she was coping alone.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15We believe she didn't tell us about the second child
0:21:15 > 0:21:19born in October, 2003 because this was during the time
0:21:19 > 0:21:22that she claimed to be a single parent.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25We believe that she was trying to hide the fact
0:21:25 > 0:21:30that she was still in a relationship with the child's father, Mr Baiden.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34And she definitely couldn't risk that,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36because if the authorities had got wind of the fact
0:21:36 > 0:21:39that a high-earning father was on the scene,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42that would have exposed Jennifer's lies and put an end
0:21:42 > 0:21:45to all the lucrative benefits she was claiming.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51The lengths that some people will go to to try and avoid detection.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54I mean, denying the existence of your own flesh and blood,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57your own child! It defies belief, really.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03By the time Jennifer came back in for her second interview,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06the case for the prosecution was ready.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09This time, she was interviewed by Chantel herself
0:22:09 > 0:22:11on behalf of Newham Council.
0:22:16 > 0:22:21The reason for this interview is we believe you failed to declare a change in your circumstances
0:22:21 > 0:22:24and possibly made some false declarations on application forms
0:22:24 > 0:22:28for housing benefits and council tax benefit.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31This time around, Jennifer had got herself a solicitor
0:22:31 > 0:22:33who read out a prepared statement.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36I deny the allegations.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38I have not acted dishonestly
0:22:38 > 0:22:41at any stage in relation to my benefit claims.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45My husband comes and goes from the house, but we do not live together.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50In the prepared statement she denied the allegations put to her
0:22:50 > 0:22:54and also denied that she had acted dishonestly.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57She stated that she was a single parent, and although her partner
0:22:57 > 0:23:01came to the property from time to time, he did not live with her.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Jennifer's statement didn't wash with Chantel.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09She refused to answer any further questions,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13but by that stage, the facts spoke for themselves.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17- So what happened next?- Then we prepared the papers for prosecution,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20- and the case went to court. - Are we talking about trial by jury?
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Yes, it was held at Inner London Crown Court and it was a jury.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28Jennifer's trial began on the 4th of April, 2011.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Despite the weight of evidence against her,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33she entered a plea of not guilty.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36How did she think she was going to get away with it
0:23:36 > 0:23:39when you've got all this evidence here?
0:23:39 > 0:23:43We don't know, she just decided from day one that she wouldn't cooperate.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45He wasn't living with her and she was not guilty,
0:23:45 > 0:23:47it didn't matter what was put in front of her,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50- she maintained she wasn't guilty. - So all along, she either thought
0:23:50 > 0:23:52she was very clever and she could beat the system
0:23:52 > 0:23:56- or that she was innocent. Which one do you think it was? - She thought she was clever.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00- Was she?- No, she wasn't, because the jury found her guilty.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Months of detailed investigation
0:24:04 > 0:24:07by the combined fraud teams of Newham Council and the DWP
0:24:07 > 0:24:09had finally paid off.
0:24:10 > 0:24:15On the 13th of April, 2011, Jennifer Baiden was convicted on four counts
0:24:15 > 0:24:20of false representation, one count relating to income support
0:24:20 > 0:24:22and three counts of falsely claiming housing benefits
0:24:22 > 0:24:25and council tax benefits.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28In total, the judge found her guilty
0:24:28 > 0:24:30of swindling the public purse
0:24:30 > 0:24:33out of £75,000.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37The date for sentencing was set for the 12th of May.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41But on the day, while they were waiting to hear what the judge had decided,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44some news came out of the blue.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46We were expecting her to be sentenced this morning,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49but it transpired that there was a query
0:24:49 > 0:24:52as to whether she may have some previous convictions.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55The court had discovered that Jennifer had been convicted
0:24:55 > 0:25:01of false accounting in 1997, while she was working at an NHS care home.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03She denied this allegation,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06stating her passport had been stolen
0:25:06 > 0:25:08and that someone had obviously used her identity
0:25:08 > 0:25:11and had been convicted of this crime.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14The DWP and the prosecutors did some more digging
0:25:14 > 0:25:18and they found that the fingerprints of the person who had been convicted
0:25:18 > 0:25:22for this false accounting matched those of Mrs Jennifer Baiden.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Jennifer's desperate attempt to lie her way out of trouble again
0:25:27 > 0:25:31didn't do her any good, and on the 27th of May, 2011,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33she went back to court to hear her sentence.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37In summing up, the judge said, "I consider you to be dishonest.
0:25:37 > 0:25:43"You told a series of lies to people and you are now taking the brunt."
0:25:43 > 0:25:46- So, what did she get?- She got a 12-month custodial sentence,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49- but that was then suspended for two years.- And why?
0:25:49 > 0:25:52The judge felt her husband had a part to play in the fraud
0:25:52 > 0:25:55and that it was unfair of her to shoulder the whole blame,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57and therefore he didn't send her to prison.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01So the judge took into account that Jennifer Baiden's children
0:26:01 > 0:26:04are still very young and would be deprived of their mother
0:26:04 > 0:26:05if she was in prison.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08However, if she reoffends in the next couple of years,
0:26:08 > 0:26:09she'll be sent down.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14I'd have liked her to have gone to prison, I think she deserved it.
0:26:14 > 0:26:15It's unfortunate that she didn't,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17but it's a decision for the judge to make.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21And as much as I can be disappointed, it's not my decision.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Meanwhile, Emma and her team are doing everything they can
0:26:24 > 0:26:28to recoup the £75,000 that Jennifer Baiden stole.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34We'll pursue her as much as we can, we'll take her to County Court,
0:26:34 > 0:26:36we will do whatever we can to get our money back,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39so we're pursuing that at the moment.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42It's been a painstaking investigation
0:26:42 > 0:26:46and the fraud team have worked tirelessly to bring Jennifer Baiden to justice.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49But it does go to show, there's no such thing as a free lunch
0:26:49 > 0:26:51and certainly not a free luxury holiday.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54And if you want to live the high life at the expense of the taxpayer,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57then the fraud team are going to bring you down.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd