0:00:02 > 0:00:04One of the things that makes this country great is that,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07whenever we find someone in genuine need, we help them out.
0:00:07 > 0:00:12Our welfare system is there to help when life deals us a duff hand.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14My confidence had gone, smashed to pieces.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16But then, whenever there's cash on offer
0:00:16 > 0:00:19you'll always find someone who wants to steal it.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23It didn't look like your average benefit claimant's house.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Those trying to sponge off the system
0:00:25 > 0:00:27won't always get away with it.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30We will investigate thoroughly and take the appropriate action.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35This is the world of Saints And Scroungers.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00This is Saints And Scroungers.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03We expose the people who think they can make a fast buck
0:01:03 > 0:01:07stealing public money from you and me, the taxpayer.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10And we also share the stories of society's deserving,
0:01:10 > 0:01:12unsung heroes and heroines.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15The saints get the recognition they deserve,
0:01:15 > 0:01:17and for the fraudsters it's payback time.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Coming up on today's show...
0:01:21 > 0:01:25..a supposedly single mother is singled out for investigation
0:01:25 > 0:01:28after she lies about her relationship status...
0:01:28 > 0:01:31In the lounge of the house was their wedding photo,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33clearly bride and bridegroom.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37..and an ex-military man has his dreams of a job
0:01:37 > 0:01:40on civvy street crushed by the economic climate.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43I felt shattered and battered and bruised.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46I didn't know what to do any more. I just... I was finished.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Having children when you're very young can be a lot to cope with,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56and it's especially difficult if you haven't got
0:01:56 > 0:01:58the support of a partner.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00But then, luckily, here in the UK
0:02:00 > 0:02:04we have a financial system that you can fall back on.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07And some people really do take advantage of that.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Maxine Green, a single mother of two from Havering,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16had her first child in 1982, when she was 16.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18For years, the family relied on income support,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22housing benefit and council tax benefit to get by.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25But Maxine's situations wasn't unusual to Chris Henry,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27a Benefits Manager for Havering Council.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Havering Council is a medium-sized authority.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37There are approximately 100,000 properties in the borough,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40of which 21,000 of those properties are in receipt
0:02:40 > 0:02:43of housing and council tax benefit.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47But not everyone is entitled to the benefits they're claiming,
0:02:47 > 0:02:51and it takes Chris's vigilant team to stay on top of it.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53We have seven investigators,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56and an intelligence officer led by a manager,
0:02:56 > 0:03:00who are responsible for looking into potential cases of fraud.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04On this occasion, it was Havering's debt recovery team
0:03:04 > 0:03:07that brought one particular case to light.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12In 2010, a council's bailiff referred a Mr Michael Dowman
0:03:12 > 0:03:15to the investigation team to look into
0:03:15 > 0:03:19what didn't seem right with regards to his benefit claim.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22It appeared to the bailiff that he was living beyond his means
0:03:22 > 0:03:25as a person claiming housing and council tax benefit.
0:03:25 > 0:03:30So, Michael Dowman was living a lavish lifestyle that didn't add up.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33But it was all soon to come to an end.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38Our investigations team looked into Michael Dowman's history
0:03:38 > 0:03:42and did background checks on him and determined that he had been
0:03:42 > 0:03:45receiving benefit that he wasn't entitled to.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48They gathered the evidence together, proved this in court,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50and he was actually prosecuted.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Another fraudulent claim stopped in its tracks.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56But Michael Dowman wasn't the only suspicious name
0:03:56 > 0:03:58to come out of the case.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02It was looking like Havering Council had opened a can of worms.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06During the investigation with Michael Dowman,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10it came to light from his records that he'd been on holiday
0:04:10 > 0:04:12with a person named Maxine Kemp.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18Maxine Kemp - hold on, we have already met a Maxine, haven't we?
0:04:18 > 0:04:21It was time to pass the case on for further inspection,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24as it was possible this associate of Michael Dowman's
0:04:24 > 0:04:27could also be involved in the fraud somehow.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Their investigator has asked to stay anonymous.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34One of my colleagues was investigating another case,
0:04:34 > 0:04:39and she came across the name Maxine Kemp in that investigation,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42and an address in Bevan Way in Hornchurch.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46She did some checks on that name and address,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and found that we had a live benefit claim
0:04:49 > 0:04:53at that address, but in the name of Maxine Green.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57Ah, Maxine Green, yes, I know her.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01We've got two Maxines, then, one address and a load of benefits.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Maxine Green was claiming housing and council tax benefit from Havering Council,
0:05:05 > 0:05:11and she was also claiming Jobseeker's Allowance from the DWP,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15and in the past claimed income support from them.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17And, because she had two children,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19she was also in receipt of tax credits.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22This was suspicious and needed further investigation,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25and the file was passed to me to look at it.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29So, Havering Council's investigation team
0:05:29 > 0:05:31needed to get to the bottom of this mess.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35The first thing I decided to do was research the address
0:05:35 > 0:05:37and to research both names,
0:05:37 > 0:05:42so I conducted data credit checks on both of the names.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46I couldn't find any trace of Maxine Kemp on any of our systems
0:05:46 > 0:05:49in relation to benefits or paying council tax.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Things were starting to look fishy.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57So, Maxine Green was living with Maxine Kemp,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01but only Maxine Green was claiming benefit.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Maybe there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for all this.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Maybe it was a friend or relative who just needed
0:06:08 > 0:06:10a bed for a couple of weeks,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12and happened to be called Maxine.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16Through my experience with investigating similar offences,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20I had the idea that it could be one of two possibilities -
0:06:20 > 0:06:24one being that Maxine Green and Maxine Kemp were the same person
0:06:24 > 0:06:27and that she could possibly be using another name
0:06:27 > 0:06:30in connection with a benefit fraud,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34or that it could be somebody else staying at her house
0:06:34 > 0:06:37that she hadn't declared, and they could be two separate people.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40There's absolutely nothing wrong with Maxine Kemp
0:06:40 > 0:06:43and Maxine Green living together in the same household,
0:06:43 > 0:06:48as long as Maxine Green has declared Maxine Kemp
0:06:48 > 0:06:51on her claim for housing and council tax benefit.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Now, if you claim these benefits, someone else living with you
0:06:54 > 0:06:56could affect the amount of money you receive.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Maxine Green had declared no other adults living in the property,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05certainly no-one by the name of Maxine Kemp.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09But their main investigator had one possible theory.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12In my experience, a common benefit fraud
0:07:12 > 0:07:14is what they call living together,
0:07:14 > 0:07:18where a single parent bringing up children is, in fact,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22living with a partner or their spouse, and as a result
0:07:22 > 0:07:26they're receiving benefits to which they wouldn't be entitled.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30I did suspect that that might be the case in this investigation,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34as it is not unusual for people to use their maiden names
0:07:34 > 0:07:36to disguise their actual married names.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40So, it was possible one of the Maxines was married.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43It was up to the fraud team to find out,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47so they did further research and credit checks into the address.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52I discovered that there was a male living there, as well, a Mr Kemp,
0:07:52 > 0:07:56and that could either have been the partner of Maxine Green
0:07:56 > 0:08:00or it could have been another relative of Maxine Kemp.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02Again, at that stage, I wasn't sure.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08So, on the record there was a Maxine Green, a Maxine Kemp
0:08:08 > 0:08:10and a Mr Kemp at one address.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Exactly what the connections were between the three was unknown,
0:08:14 > 0:08:16but not for much longer.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19The investigation was about to come to a head.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21I asked her if she was alone in the house,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23and she confirmed that she was alone.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26And a few moments after saying that,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28a gentleman came down the stairs,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31obviously dressed in his night attire,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33and she told me that it was her brother.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40For now, it's farewell to the fraudsters
0:08:40 > 0:08:42and hello to the people we call our saints -
0:08:42 > 0:08:46those in society that help others desperately in need
0:08:46 > 0:08:48to claim what they rightfully can.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Setting up your own business can be a lot of hard work,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58but if you're successful then you reap the rewards.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00But if your business fails, it's far too easy
0:09:00 > 0:09:03to start seeing yourself as on the scrapheap,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06and that can knock a person for six.
0:09:07 > 0:09:1138-year-old Chris Lewis, a husband and father of three children
0:09:11 > 0:09:14aged ten, eight and six, felt the full force of this
0:09:14 > 0:09:19when he made the decision to give up a secure military career for a new life.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22I'd just done 16 years in the Royal Air Force,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25eight years within the engineering environment,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28working on fast jets, Chinook helicopters, things like that.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31The last eight years I was on learning and development,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34coaching and training, developing the new people
0:09:34 > 0:09:36who joined the Royal Air Force.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37A pretty amazing job.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40But the exciting military career meant constant upheaval
0:09:40 > 0:09:44for Jenny, his wife, and their children.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47So, after a decade and a half, Chris decided it was time to leave
0:09:47 > 0:09:49the RAF and set up his own business,
0:09:49 > 0:09:53still coaching and training, but in a much wider arena.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56He had a bit of money from the Air Force, some savings,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00so that that was our buffer zone that would help us get through.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03But the excitement and optimism wasn't to last.
0:10:03 > 0:10:04The crumbling UK economy meant
0:10:04 > 0:10:07regardless of the hours he put in searching for work,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Chris was unable to gain the employment he expected,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13and he was facing financial ruin.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21I've come to meet him, to hear more about this turbulent time
0:10:21 > 0:10:25in his and his family's life, and his choice to leave the military.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- It's a big decision, though. - Yeah, terrifying.
0:10:28 > 0:10:29- Terrifying?- Yeah.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32I've given up my pension, I've walked away from a really,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35really good salary, but it's just money. At the end of the day,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37when I'm put in that box, buried in the ground,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39my legacy will be my kids and my grandkids
0:10:39 > 0:10:42and my amazing wife, and you can't put a price on that, I don't think.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- Tell me about the business. - The coalition government took over,
0:10:45 > 0:10:47and my business model got destroyed overnight.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51Everyone's budget went... They all sucked in, and went,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54"We've got no money. We cannot hire you in."
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Financially, things started to get incredibly testing at home,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03with £2,500 less every month coming in,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07and the family reliant solely on Jenny's nurse's wage.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11The first six months, we didn't expect miracles.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13I mean, we knew it would be difficult,
0:11:13 > 0:11:15but as it got to 10 months,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18we started to worry a bit and we were thinking,
0:11:18 > 0:11:19well, why aren't things picking up?
0:11:19 > 0:11:24Then a year went and still there was no change,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27and the whole time, we were relying on the money that we saved.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Night and day for a year and a half,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Chris touted his coaching business and applied for jobs,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35but he was faced with constant rejection.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38I was thinking that I've let the family down,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40I've let my wife down, I've let all my mates down
0:11:40 > 0:11:42who said I could be a success.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43I just felt like I'd let everyone down.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45It was all building up, and I just sat on the bed.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48I never cry. And Jenny came into the bedroom and said,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51"Are you all right?" And I just went, "No." And I burst into tears.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55None of us really knew what to do to help him get out of that place.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00He just kept saying, "I just want a chance. I just want a chance."
0:12:00 > 0:12:03At the peak of the financial crisis,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06it made sense for Chris to seek help from the state.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09You could claim benefits.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Yeah, yeah. I would probably be classed as 'economically inactive',
0:12:12 > 0:12:15I think is the term. A businessman who is not making any money.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17So why didn't you claim those benefits?
0:12:17 > 0:12:19To me, it was admitting to myself,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22"You've failed at everything you've tried to achieve."
0:12:22 > 0:12:25You've served the country for 15 years, you've paid in
0:12:25 > 0:12:27in both ways, you know,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31financially and in terms of what you have given to the nation.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35If anybody's entitled to claim benefits, you are.
0:12:35 > 0:12:36- But no?- No.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42When it seemed there was nowhere else to turn,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Chris was told about a Department for Work & Pensions-funded charity
0:12:45 > 0:12:47whose aim is to help
0:12:47 > 0:12:50ex-military staff adjust to civilian life
0:12:50 > 0:12:52and find work.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54When people leave the Services,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57if they've been over four years in the Services.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00they do get quite a bit of support.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02But it isn't always what they need.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04When they're under four years,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08they don't get too much support at all.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Housing's an issue.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Money, obviously, funding,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15you know, to actually live.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20Training, cos coming out of the Army, they have a vast array
0:13:20 > 0:13:22of training.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25But it isn't always equipped for what's out on the real world.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28I met with Remploy. It just happened to be on my birthday.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31So I'm sat there on my birthday,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33and everything changed that day.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38People say, "What did Remploy do different to change your mind?"
0:13:38 > 0:13:40They just believed in me.
0:13:40 > 0:13:41When I first met Chris, I thought,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45"Here's a chap that is so employable and full of confidence."
0:13:45 > 0:13:49I thought he was full of confidence, till I had a conversation with him.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52We do an initial assessment when we meet up with anybody,
0:13:52 > 0:13:53not just ex-vets,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56to get to the base of what their problems are,
0:13:56 > 0:14:00and Chris had obviously faced some awful knock-backs
0:14:00 > 0:14:03and had got really, really down.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Almost the best thing Chris did
0:14:06 > 0:14:11was to finally accept he needed some external support.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14- So you walked through the doors? - Yep.- What are they offering you?
0:14:14 > 0:14:18They just said, "We'll be able to target your CV,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20"we have partners we work with,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22"we're connected to the local community.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25I'd block a day off and go in, use their computers
0:14:25 > 0:14:28and print off my CVs, my cover letters, they'd frank my mail.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32It was brilliant just to have someone with a smile on their face
0:14:32 > 0:14:35and someone else being a human being towards me.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37- And it takes you away from your home?- Yeah.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39And everything that's here.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41- All the worries.- You're right.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43So it gets you away from that
0:14:43 > 0:14:45into a fresh environment
0:14:45 > 0:14:47- where you can breathe a bit. - Yeah, breath of fresh air.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51What's more, the charity had contacts
0:14:51 > 0:14:54that started to open doors for Chris.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56Remploy have partner organisations.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00I gave Chris the numbers of those organisations that might be able to help him.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02I'd been firing out e-mails.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04My old Wing Commander
0:15:04 > 0:15:07forwarded my CV to a charity called Remount
0:15:07 > 0:15:09which works with veterans
0:15:09 > 0:15:11transitioning from leaving the Armed Forces,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14I thought, "Yeah, thanks for doing that. Appreciate that."
0:15:14 > 0:15:17I sent him a thank you e-mail, but I got a reply from the chief executive.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20That CEO was Bill McLachlan.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22After hearing about Chris,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26he invited him to take part in a course called Remount One.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30We teach them how to capitalise on all the experience and skills
0:15:30 > 0:15:33that they've learnt in the military
0:15:33 > 0:15:35and how to utilise those to
0:15:35 > 0:15:38develop a second career in civilian life.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Bill spotted something else in Chris
0:15:42 > 0:15:44that could help him take the charity to the next level.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48I liked the way he was a very positive individual.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52He was obviously not put off by the odd stumble here and there,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55And he seemed to be the ideal candidate
0:15:55 > 0:15:57when I came to look for someone
0:15:57 > 0:15:59to run the Remount Two course.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03So, after 18 months of struggling,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07it seems Chris has finally found what he's looking for.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09What does the future hold for you?
0:16:09 > 0:16:12In five weeks I start my new job.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14My new course director job for Remount.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Pretty exciting times. I've been handed a project.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21He's never given a project of this size to someone in the past.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23He's got total trust in me.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25The way he's just kept on,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28I think a lot of other people would have just given up.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32I met up with Chris last week and we've set up a small project
0:16:32 > 0:16:34for ex-veterans
0:16:34 > 0:16:36linked in with Remploy,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39and Chris will do the training for me.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41My life went from nothing,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43working really hard and getting nothing from it.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45My life is so busy at the moment
0:16:45 > 0:16:46I'm getting lots of training projects,
0:16:46 > 0:16:50I'm getting phone calls all the time.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52I can turn work down.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Chris' story shows
0:16:54 > 0:16:58that even when life takes an unexpected turn,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00if you have the right people there to guide you,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03you still have a chance to get it back on track.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13In June, 2010, Havering Council's bailiffs stumbled across the name
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Maxine Kemp while looking at another case.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20During the investigation of Michael Dowman, information came to light.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23He'd actually been on holiday to Amsterdam
0:17:23 > 0:17:26with a person named Maxine Kemp.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Michael Dowman was prosecuted
0:17:29 > 0:17:32and sent to jail for housing benefit fraud.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34So Havering Council thought it necessary to do further
0:17:34 > 0:17:36credit checks on this Maxine Kemp,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38in case she was an associate.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Nothing came up under the name Maxine Kemp,
0:17:41 > 0:17:45but at Kemp's registered address there was a live benefit claim
0:17:45 > 0:17:47under the name Maxine Green.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50As a result of that,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53the investigating officer decided to look further into the case
0:17:53 > 0:17:55of Maxine Green.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57She was, according to Havering Council,
0:17:57 > 0:18:01a single mum of two, claiming income support, plus housing benefit
0:18:01 > 0:18:03and council tax benefit.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07If Maxine Kemp was living at the property
0:18:07 > 0:18:08with Maxine Green,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10and had been declared,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12for council tax purposes,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15we wouldn't have allowed a discount to be awarded.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19They also discovered a Mr Kemp was registered as living at the address,
0:18:19 > 0:18:24which shed further suspicion on how many Maxines really existed.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28So it was starting to look like Maxine Green and Maxine Kemp
0:18:28 > 0:18:31were in fact the same person.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33And rather than being
0:18:33 > 0:18:36a poor, single, penniless mum,
0:18:36 > 0:18:40she was actually shacked up with a very supportive other half.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44But Havering's investigator needed to prove this.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47I conducted financial checks into Mr Kemp
0:18:47 > 0:18:50and found a number of accounts
0:18:50 > 0:18:53that were registered in his name at that address,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55such as a Lloyd's Bank account.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57He had loans at that address,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00he had a mobile phone contract at that address.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03And he also had a credit card
0:19:03 > 0:19:05registered to that address.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09That indicated to me it was a pretty permanent arrangement
0:19:09 > 0:19:11that he was living there.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13And that wasn't all.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17I checked with the National Health Service who his GP was,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20and their records indicated that Mr Kemp
0:19:20 > 0:19:23had previously lived at an address where
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Maxine Green had lived,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27prior to moving to Bevan Way.
0:19:27 > 0:19:32And that his current address was in fact at her address
0:19:32 > 0:19:33in Bevan Way as well.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37This indicated to me they had a long-standing relationship,
0:19:37 > 0:19:38going back a number of years.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41For two decades, Maxine Green
0:19:41 > 0:19:44had been claiming benefits as a single parent
0:19:44 > 0:19:46when in fact she'd been living with a partner all along.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49But it wasn't just any partner.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52As my suspicions grew,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55I decided to have another look at her claim forms.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57She was claiming for two children
0:19:57 > 0:19:59throughout the period of her claim.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02I decided to check their birth certificates,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04which I did and I found
0:20:04 > 0:20:08that Mr Kemp was the father of her children.
0:20:08 > 0:20:09Yep, he was the daddy.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12And looking back on Maxine's prior benefit applications,
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Chris couldn't be more certain
0:20:14 > 0:20:17that a huge fraud against Havering Council
0:20:17 > 0:20:21and the Department for Work & Pensions had taken place.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Housing and council tax benefit is calculated
0:20:24 > 0:20:26based on the number of adults' income
0:20:26 > 0:20:28in the household.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31You can see on this claim form
0:20:31 > 0:20:34that Maxine Green has declared herself
0:20:34 > 0:20:36but no partner.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Basically, there's no other adults
0:20:38 > 0:20:40declared on the claim.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Maxine Green hadn't declared Mr Kemp,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46so we were unaware of what his income was.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50So the investigators had to look into his income and capital
0:20:50 > 0:20:52to determine if that would affect
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Maxine Green's claim for benefit.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57So there was the chance that even though Maxine Green wasn't eligible
0:20:57 > 0:21:00for council tax benefit as a single person,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04she still needed housing benefit and income support
0:21:04 > 0:21:07because Mr Kemp was not financially flush.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09More detailed checks needed to take place.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12I contacted the Department for Work & Pensions
0:21:12 > 0:21:14to ascertain whether Mr Kemp
0:21:14 > 0:21:17had been in employment during this period.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20I found out he had in fact had employments
0:21:20 > 0:21:24working for a security company in the past.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28He had correctly paid his national insurance and income tax on those.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30I also found out later
0:21:30 > 0:21:32that since 2001,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36he had been a licensed black cab driver in London.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Now it was time for everyone involved to hit the streets
0:21:41 > 0:21:43in an attempt
0:21:43 > 0:21:47to catch Maxine Green...red-handed.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49It was down to Havering Council's
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Benefits manager, Chris Henry,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53to kick the whole process off.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58I decided to involve the police,
0:21:58 > 0:22:00and have them attend the property with our investigators
0:22:00 > 0:22:03to confront Mr Kemp and Maxine Green.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05It was apparent to me
0:22:05 > 0:22:07that any offences would have been committed
0:22:07 > 0:22:09over a very long period of time.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12And that the amount of money involved
0:22:12 > 0:22:14would be very large.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17An early Christmas present arrived for Maxine Green
0:22:17 > 0:22:19in December, 2010,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22in the form of Havering Council,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25the Department for Work & Pensions and the police.
0:22:25 > 0:22:26As we entered,
0:22:26 > 0:22:30instinctively I asked her if she was alone in the house,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32and she confirmed she was alone.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35A few moments after saying that,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37a gentleman came down the stairs,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40obviously dressed in his night attire.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Maxine Green's explanation
0:22:42 > 0:22:44of this "gentleman"
0:22:44 > 0:22:48didn't quite cut the mustard as far as the investigators were concerned.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51I said to her, "Who's he?
0:22:51 > 0:22:53"You told me you was on your own."
0:22:53 > 0:22:56She told me it was her brother.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58The tale was too tall this time
0:22:58 > 0:23:00and Maxine Green was arrested on suspicion
0:23:00 > 0:23:02of committing benefit fraud.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Then she and her long-term lover
0:23:04 > 0:23:07were interviewed in separate rooms.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10He immediately identified himself as Mr Kemp.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14He explained he was in fact her husband.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17And made no secret of the fact.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19He basically denied any knowledge
0:23:19 > 0:23:21that she was claiming benefits
0:23:21 > 0:23:23and didn't know what it was all about.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25He was also arrested
0:23:25 > 0:23:29on suspicion of assisting her to commit the offences.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31It was time to take a look around the family home.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34The property was well-furnished.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35It was well-decorated.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38It had chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42The police conducted a search in all the rooms of the house
0:23:42 > 0:23:45and found correspondence
0:23:45 > 0:23:48relating to Mr Kemp being at the address
0:23:48 > 0:23:50going back a number of years,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52such as bank statements,
0:23:52 > 0:23:53credit card bills,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55mobile phone bills,
0:23:55 > 0:23:59correspondence relating to a joint gym membership.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Later on, we even found a safe in the bedroom,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05which is unusual with somebody on benefits.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08And the whole demeanour and appearance
0:24:08 > 0:24:10of the place was somebody
0:24:10 > 0:24:13with the trappings of some wealth.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Although Maxine Green and Mr Kemp were definitely
0:24:16 > 0:24:17a cohabiting couple,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20there was one thing still unconfirmed.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24I had no definite proof that they were in fact married.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27However, in the lounge of the house
0:24:27 > 0:24:29was their wedding photo.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Clearly the bride and the bridegroom
0:24:32 > 0:24:34and subsequently,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37I obtained their marriage certificate,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41which proved conclusively they'd been married since 1992.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46After interviews under caution,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48both Maxine Green and Mr Kemp
0:24:48 > 0:24:50were charged with making false statements to claim benefits
0:24:50 > 0:24:54and failing to report changes in circumstances.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56In April 2012,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Maxine Green pleaded guilty
0:24:59 > 0:25:00to the charges,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04and Mr Kemp pleaded not guilty.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Because the weight of evidence really was against Maxine Green
0:25:07 > 0:25:08as the claimant,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Havering decided to drop the charges against Mr Kemp
0:25:12 > 0:25:15and proceed with Mrs Green's indictments.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19So charges against Mr Kemp were dropped
0:25:19 > 0:25:22and he always maintained he knew nothing of his wife's claims.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Their marriage in 1992
0:25:24 > 0:25:26meant that for almost 20 years
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Maxine Green had claimed benefits when she shouldn't have.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33And the total figure was shocking.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36There was over £165,000-worth
0:25:36 > 0:25:38of fraudulent overpayments
0:25:38 > 0:25:40and this was made up of child tax credit,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42housing benefits, council tax benefit,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46Jobseeker's Allowance and income support.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48She'd robbed Havering Council of more than
0:25:48 > 0:25:51£71,000-worth of benefits.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53The Department for Work & Pensions
0:25:53 > 0:25:55of over £89,000
0:25:55 > 0:25:57and had wrongly received
0:25:57 > 0:25:59nearly £5,000 in tax credits.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02There was only one thing certain for this scrounger.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04In June, 2012,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06at Basildon Crown Court,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10the judge sentenced Maxine Green to 15 months' imprisonment.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15What started as a simple holiday to Amsterdam with Michael Dowman
0:26:15 > 0:26:17meant jail for Maxine Green
0:26:17 > 0:26:21and a double whammy for Havering Council.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24The jail sentence sends the message
0:26:24 > 0:26:26to those people who are claiming benefits
0:26:26 > 0:26:28that they're not entitled to
0:26:28 > 0:26:31that we are willing to prosecute and incarcerate people
0:26:31 > 0:26:33who fraudulently claim.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35As soon as Maxine Green gets out of jail,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39we will pursue her to get that money back.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44So, after two decades of lying about her marital status,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46in order to claim benefits,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Maxine Green has now at last achieved
0:26:49 > 0:26:53the single lifestyle she lied about for so long.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56Unfortunately for her, she's doing it in prison.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58What a waste.