0:00:02 > 0:00:06In the UK, most of us work hard and pay our taxes...
0:00:06 > 0:00:08I get very angry about people cheating,
0:00:08 > 0:00:10because that is what it is, isn't it?
0:00:10 > 0:00:13..and we generally agree that it is right that
0:00:13 > 0:00:16a proportion of what you earn should go into a pot that's there
0:00:16 > 0:00:19to help you, should you need it.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22But that money doesn't always find its way to the right people.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27- I think lying to gain the benefit is so wrong.- It's awful.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30There are big changes taking place in the welfare system
0:00:30 > 0:00:33here in the UK.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35And now it's more important than ever
0:00:35 > 0:00:38that the right help gets to the right people.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42This the world of Saints And Scroungers.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Coming up, the scroungers out to fleece the system -
0:00:48 > 0:00:52a woman of many guises claiming a small fortune in benefits
0:00:52 > 0:00:54who was working the whole time...
0:00:54 > 0:00:58They then produced a photo taken from their records which
0:00:58 > 0:01:02showed that these passport photos were all one and the same
0:01:02 > 0:01:07and the person in their employment photo was also the same person.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10..and those in need of support -
0:01:10 > 0:01:13a family are given the news that their baby daughter has
0:01:13 > 0:01:15an incurable and debilitating illness.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18The future is very uncertain for Edie.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22She's four years old and she already has scoliosis of the spine.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Now, we all know that life can have its ups and downs
0:01:28 > 0:01:32and one of the downs can be when a relationship ends badly.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35While most of us get by with a little help from our friends,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38some people need more than just a shoulder to cry on.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40They need outside support.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Meet 37-year-old Aliyah Abbasi,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46who lives in a flat in Mason Close
0:01:46 > 0:01:49in the Borough of Richmond, West London.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52When her relationship broke down in 2005,
0:01:52 > 0:01:53she began suffering from depression
0:01:53 > 0:01:55which prevented her from working,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59so she relied on benefits from the state to get by.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Miss Aliyah Abbasi certainly presented herself
0:02:01 > 0:02:03as a deserving case.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05She was a single person
0:02:05 > 0:02:06living on her own
0:02:06 > 0:02:09with no income, she wasn't in employment,
0:02:09 > 0:02:10so on that basis,
0:02:10 > 0:02:12she was perceived to be entitled
0:02:12 > 0:02:16to receive Housing and Council Tax Benefit.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Aliyah Abbasi received just over £100 a week
0:02:22 > 0:02:25from Richmond Council for Housing and Council Tax Benefit
0:02:25 > 0:02:29as well as Income Support from the Department for Work and Pensions.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Richmond is one of the smallest boroughs in London
0:02:34 > 0:02:36but is also one of the most affluent.
0:02:36 > 0:02:37Despite all the wealth,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40in 2012 it paid out £78 million
0:02:40 > 0:02:43in Housing and Council Tax Benefit
0:02:43 > 0:02:45and, like all boroughs,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47it had its fair share of fraudulent claims
0:02:47 > 0:02:49to investigate.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53For Richmond, last year alone,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57approximately £1 million in overpayments
0:02:57 > 0:03:01was identified by the Fraud Investigation Team,
0:03:01 > 0:03:06which is a considerable amount of money for such a small London borough.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10And it was a referral from the Department for Work and Pensions
0:03:10 > 0:03:12that highlighted concerns about
0:03:12 > 0:03:13Aliyah Abbasi's claim
0:03:13 > 0:03:16and kick-started a joint investigation
0:03:16 > 0:03:19involving fraud officers at the DWP and Richmond Council.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Mark Simpson was one of the lead investigators.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27The case began with, er,
0:03:27 > 0:03:28data-matching records
0:03:28 > 0:03:30being matched with data from
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs
0:03:32 > 0:03:34into people who are working
0:03:34 > 0:03:36against those who are claiming benefit.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40We had the comparison of the PAYE records
0:03:40 > 0:03:42and the National Insurance records
0:03:42 > 0:03:43for a Miss Abbasi
0:03:43 > 0:03:46which showed she'd worked for a company called Alpha Medical
0:03:46 > 0:03:48for four months
0:03:48 > 0:03:51and a company called Connaught PLC for three years.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55The Department for Work and Pensions' data-matching process
0:03:55 > 0:03:59had unearthed a big potential problem with Aliyah Abbasi's claim,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01which they wasted no time in checking out.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04What's unusual is the fact
0:04:04 > 0:04:07that we had someone called Abbasi with the same date of birth
0:04:07 > 0:04:10and National Insurance number claiming benefits
0:04:10 > 0:04:13as the person who was working.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17We sent enquiries to both companies, asking for details of
0:04:17 > 0:04:20wages and bank account records
0:04:20 > 0:04:22and any identity records that they hold
0:04:22 > 0:04:26for that particular person who had worked for them.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28When investigators got replies back from the companies,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30the information they provided
0:04:30 > 0:04:32was enlightening in more ways than one.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Connaught PLC confirmed Miss Abbasi's wage records.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41But also confirmed she'd originally started work
0:04:41 > 0:04:43as Robina Aliyah Abbasi
0:04:43 > 0:04:46but during the course of her employment, she changed her name
0:04:46 > 0:04:49by deed poll to Aliyah Jameel Choudhry,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52but known as Robina.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55She told us she had changed her name by deed poll
0:04:55 > 0:04:59roughly a month before she finished the employment with them.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Let me get this straight.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Aliyah Abbasi had been claiming benefits
0:05:04 > 0:05:06but at the same time had been working
0:05:06 > 0:05:09and using another name, Choudhry.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Whatever she was calling herself,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13on paper it looked like she's been ripping off
0:05:13 > 0:05:16the benefits system for at least four years.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20We started making further enquiries with colleagues
0:05:20 > 0:05:23in other government departments and local authorities.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24We then discovered Abbasi
0:05:24 > 0:05:29had made a claim for Housing Benefit from Richmond Local Authority.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32We got in contact with them and invited them
0:05:32 > 0:05:35to join us in a joint investigation.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Alix Wilson at Richmond Council
0:05:37 > 0:05:39had a team of investigators working
0:05:39 > 0:05:42on the case, but due to the sensitive nature of his job,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44this one wishes to remain anonymous.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50It was quite damning evidence.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52We had bank details,
0:05:52 > 0:05:58we had credit checks that showed she had obtained these accounts
0:05:58 > 0:05:59that she hadn't declared to us
0:05:59 > 0:06:02and we had the two periods of employment.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Given the quality of the evidence the Department for Work and Pensions had obtained,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07I believed it was necessary
0:06:07 > 0:06:10to carry out a joint interview under caution with the officer
0:06:10 > 0:06:13from the Department for Work and Pensions.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15It was time for Aliyah Abbasi to explain
0:06:15 > 0:06:18her seemingly undeclared periods of employment.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20That's exactly what she did.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24In the interview under caution with Miss Aliyah Abbasi,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26we showed her the evidence
0:06:26 > 0:06:29the Department for Work and Pensions had obtained from the employers.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33She categorically denied ever working for these companies
0:06:33 > 0:06:36and she suggested maybe her identity had been stolen
0:06:36 > 0:06:42and that somebody was actually using her identity to work for these companies.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46She even volunteered to attend an identity parade where these
0:06:46 > 0:06:48two employers could attend
0:06:48 > 0:06:51in a bid that they would not identify her
0:06:51 > 0:06:54as being the person that was employed.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57A lot of the time, people crack in their interview under caution,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00faced with the evidence put before them.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04But not Abbasi. Cool as a cucumber, she denied everything,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07then there's the defence of her identity being stolen.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09It does happen.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11The question investigators asked was,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13had it happened in this case?
0:07:14 > 0:07:17ID fraud was a plausible explanation,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19but by the end of the interview,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23investigators had evidence that Aliyah was sometimes
0:07:23 > 0:07:25economical with the truth.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28I remembered earlier in the day that a colleague
0:07:28 > 0:07:30had seen Miss Aliyah Abbasi arrive
0:07:30 > 0:07:34driving a silver BMW and parked it in the car park
0:07:34 > 0:07:35at the Civic Centre.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37I asked her if she drove at all,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40in a bid to get a copy of her photo ID...
0:07:42 > 0:07:44..to which she replied that she didn't drive.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50When I pushed her why she was seen exiting a BMW that
0:07:50 > 0:07:54had no L-plates in the Civic Centre car park,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56her demeanour changed completely.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00She became very flustered, very short in her answers,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04and started to lose her cool completely.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Her reaction to the questions around her car
0:08:07 > 0:08:09led us to suspect that maybe
0:08:09 > 0:08:12she wasn't telling us the truth.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14At this point in time,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17we had an Abbasi who was working and claiming
0:08:17 > 0:08:21and possibly also using another identity.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Further enquiries had to be made.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26If Aliyah had been working whilst claiming benefits,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29she could have stolen tens of thousands of pounds
0:08:29 > 0:08:32from Richmond Council and the Department for Work and Pensions.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Mark's team decided it was time to look in detail
0:08:35 > 0:08:37at the various names Aliyah Abbasi was using.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41The passport service provided us
0:08:41 > 0:08:44with the information that her original application
0:08:44 > 0:08:46for a passport in May, 1994
0:08:46 > 0:08:49in the name of Aliyah Abbasi...
0:08:49 > 0:08:52and the passport service also informed us she had changed her name
0:08:52 > 0:08:54to Robina Kahn.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58The investigators checked registry records
0:08:58 > 0:09:00and these showed Kahn was the now-single
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Aliyah Abbasi's married name.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08But those weren't the only passports she had.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10We then discovered from the passport service
0:09:10 > 0:09:12that Aliyah had changed her name again
0:09:12 > 0:09:16and had a passport issued in July, 2010.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19This time to Aliyah Jameel Choudhry.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25So, passport IDs in the three names, Abbasi, Kahn and Choudhry.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29And work records in two of these names.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32We'll find out later who this mysterious woman really was
0:09:32 > 0:09:35and whether she was indeed a serial fraudster.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40There were some real issues around the identity of this woman.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45Is it someone else who has used her identity to claim benefits and work?
0:09:50 > 0:09:53For now it's farewell to the scroungers trying to nab what
0:09:53 > 0:09:57they can from the welfare state and hello to our saints -
0:09:57 > 0:10:00people whose aim it is to make life a little bit
0:10:00 > 0:10:01easier for those in need.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13When working mum Claire White and her husband Danny discovered
0:10:13 > 0:10:17their second child would be a little girl, they were overjoyed.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20And after the birth everything seemed absolutely fine.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24In the first few months of Edie's life there was nothing to
0:10:24 > 0:10:26indicate she would have any problems.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29But as time progressed there were signs that something wasn't
0:10:29 > 0:10:31quite right.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35She wasn't crawling or pulling herself up like most
0:10:35 > 0:10:40one-year-olds would do but we were told
0:10:40 > 0:10:43kids reach their milestones at different times and not to worry.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45And as far as the doctors were concerned,
0:10:45 > 0:10:47Edie was a healthy little girl.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50But Claire and her husband Danny still had their doubts.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54'I've come to find out what it was like for them during that time.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56'Can you tell me how you first'
0:10:56 > 0:11:00noticed that Edie was not
0:11:00 > 0:11:03quite the girl you thought she was going to be, if you like?
0:11:04 > 0:11:07When she got to about a year and a half, 18 months,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10something wasn't right. We went to the health visitor and she said,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13"If you're that concerned I will come and do an assessment."
0:11:13 > 0:11:16And when she did she said she presented
0:11:16 > 0:11:22herself as more of a nine-month-old baby than a 18-, 19-month-old child.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26But they said it was severe global developmental delay with ED.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Is that related to a particular illness?
0:11:28 > 0:11:33That's the kind of general umbrella they give to children
0:11:33 > 0:11:36who don't have a diagnosis.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40It was hard news to take in and what's more it wasn't really
0:11:40 > 0:11:41a diagnosis.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45They just had a phrase used to describe Edie's present condition.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48We didn't really have any idea what would be the matter with Edie.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52We just wanted some answers or some indication of what it might be.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56So Edie had to go through a series of tests
0:11:56 > 0:12:00and assessments to find out exactly what was affecting her development.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Edie was having startling movements we thought might be seizures
0:12:04 > 0:12:06so we were referred to a neurologist.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12Literally two days before we saw him we happened to be watching TV
0:12:12 > 0:12:16and there was a little girl and Danny and I looked at each other
0:12:16 > 0:12:20and said, "That little girl looks just like Edie."
0:12:20 > 0:12:23And when the parents said this is so and so
0:12:23 > 0:12:30and she's got Rett syndrome, we googled it and I just wish I hadn't.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33It was the worst thing ever.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37When they did see the neurologist two days later,
0:12:37 > 0:12:39they finally got the diagnosis.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42When we went to neurology and he said,
0:12:42 > 0:12:48"I think Edie is presenting as having Rett syndrome," it was the worst.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Broke our hearts.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Rett syndrome is a severe neurological disorder.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00It happens almost exclusively to girls.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03It happens early on, between 6-18 months typically.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07It starts with a regression, so your daughter develops normally
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and then all of a sudden begins to lose her skills.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Loses the ability to use her hands, the ability to speak,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15sometimes even the ability to swallow.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Most girls lose the ability to walk if they've gained that.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20And so basically you're sitting there watching your child
0:13:20 > 0:13:23turn back into a newborn.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Within that split second where you've got a diagnosis
0:13:26 > 0:13:29of Rett's, how did your perspective then change
0:13:29 > 0:13:31from that moment onwards?
0:13:31 > 0:13:34I must admit, when she actually did say,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36"I'm sure you're aware of why you're here.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40"Edie has got Rett's." That was it.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46I cried my eyes out. It was devastating.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49It's devastating to your life.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54She's four years old and already has scoliosis for the spine.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58She has no purposeful hand movements.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00She can't walk, she can't talk.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Rett syndrome has stolen
0:14:02 > 0:14:04all her development.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Edie's diagnosis affects me in many ways.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Normal day-to-day life, I can carry on,
0:14:10 > 0:14:15but as soon as you dwell on it
0:14:15 > 0:14:17or think about it too much,
0:14:17 > 0:14:18it becomes quite hard.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24We spend most days waiting for another bombshell.
0:14:24 > 0:14:25Something to happen.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30It's heartbreaking.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36It wasn't just the emotional strain the couple had to cope with.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38They started to find it difficult financially
0:14:38 > 0:14:42after Claire decided she couldn't continue to be a working mum.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44I couldn't go to work and do shiftwork
0:14:44 > 0:14:47and come home and look after
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Edie as well.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52It was too hard and too stressful.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Despite the care she was getting from her parents,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Edie was regressing at an alarming rate.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03She was really withdrawn,
0:15:03 > 0:15:04she wouldn't make eye contact,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07she wasn't interested in any toys
0:15:07 > 0:15:08or anything at all, really.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13She didn't like physical contact,
0:15:13 > 0:15:18she didn't even really like cuddles,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22which is heartbreaking as a parent when you just want a cuddle
0:15:22 > 0:15:24from your little girl.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28She was just a little, tiny, quiet
0:15:28 > 0:15:30person with nothing
0:15:30 > 0:15:32behind her eyes.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34She'd just look at the ground
0:15:34 > 0:15:37and wouldn't even acknowledge you were there.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39The immediate need was to get Edie
0:15:39 > 0:15:41back in touch with the world.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Following her assessment, she was referred by a health visitor
0:15:44 > 0:15:46to an organisation called Portage which helps
0:15:46 > 0:15:49children who have problems with their development.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51It was a possible lifeline for Edie
0:15:51 > 0:15:53and her parents.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Our service is very much play-based.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59So it's learning through play.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02When I first met the family it was obvious
0:16:02 > 0:16:05from the background information and seeing Edie
0:16:05 > 0:16:08that she had significant complex needs.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12She wasn't moving at all.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14She could sit unsupported
0:16:14 > 0:16:16but wasn't doing any personal skills,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18wasn't attempting to feed herself,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22showing no awareness of toilet needs, that sort of thing.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Sharon had a short and long term strategy
0:16:25 > 0:16:28to work on Edie's physical and cognitive abilities
0:16:28 > 0:16:31but she was going to need Danny and Claire's help
0:16:31 > 0:16:33for her play therapy to be effective.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Edie saw Sharon every two weeks
0:16:35 > 0:16:41and it completely changed Edie's life and completely changed our lives.
0:16:41 > 0:16:42Because it taught us
0:16:42 > 0:16:46how to engage Edie on a completely different level.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50Not just like a mother level or caring, feeding,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54food-provider, sleep-provider, nappy-changer provider.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59It was kind of tapping in and playing with her that will help
0:16:59 > 0:17:02promote her skills that she lost.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Sharon's worked with loads of kids over the years.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09All of whom have different responses to play therapy.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12I want to find out how Edie's getting on.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Are you able to notice differences in Edie from
0:17:16 > 0:17:18the time that you spent with her?
0:17:18 > 0:17:20We did a lot of sensory-based activities.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23That seemed to make a difference.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26One of the most memorable occasions I remember was
0:17:26 > 0:17:29we were just building up boxes and putting a little figure on the top
0:17:29 > 0:17:31and I was knocking it down.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34And Edie didn't seem as though she was conscious particularly of what
0:17:34 > 0:17:35we were doing.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39And then I put her hand near it and she pushed it over and laughed.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43I think for Claire that was quite a moment.
0:17:43 > 0:17:44It was wet eyes all round.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46And she just carried on doing it.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49And a couple of weeks later, when I brought the same activity,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52she'd obviously remembered and I think that was a big leap
0:17:52 > 0:17:57forward that we realised she could retain things we'd done before.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59So we were able to move her on in that way.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Sharon was getting through to Edie
0:18:02 > 0:18:06and it was the progress that her parents had been praying for.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11Once Sharon had started working with Edie, we could see the benefits.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12Just to come home
0:18:12 > 0:18:17and see Edie learning the smallest of skills is just fantastic.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20With Sharon's support, things were definitely moving
0:18:20 > 0:18:23in the right direction but the couple still had to think about
0:18:23 > 0:18:26the long-term support that Edie would need.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30I knew there were such things as benefits.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33To be honest, we partly didn't want to do it because it was a...
0:18:34 > 0:18:41It's silly to say a pride thing but it just... Did we really need it?
0:18:42 > 0:18:47You kind of... You don't want to take money but Sharon said,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51you know, having a disabled kid is not cheap.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53You've got appointments to get to,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57there's equipment to get and she's right.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00With Sharon's help, Claire discovered how the benefit system
0:19:00 > 0:19:03could and should help Edie.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Sharon recommended that we go for the Disability Living Allowance
0:19:07 > 0:19:10and Carer's Allowance.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13In addition to receiving those benefits,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16they were also awarded a blue badge to help them get around
0:19:16 > 0:19:18and Sharon helped them access a grant
0:19:18 > 0:19:21from a charity called Family Fund.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23The difference to their quality of life was huge,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27but Sharon's help would be coming to an end when Edie went to pre-school.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Claire and Danny knew that in order to help their daughter
0:19:30 > 0:19:32and themselves in the future,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36they had to find support networks that could continue to help them.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38And when they came across the charity Cure Rett,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41it was just what they were looking for.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Elizabeth Halford is one of the directors of the charity.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48We are one of a handful of Rett syndrome charities in the UK
0:19:48 > 0:19:50and we offer family support.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55We also fund-raise to cure Rett syndrome.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58The charity also runs regional days that gives families
0:19:58 > 0:20:01with Rett children the opportunity to meet.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04It is a family-orientated charity
0:20:04 > 0:20:07and we met a lot of other parents, which is really reassuring.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10It's other people in the same boat.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14The charity is not only providing Claire and Danny with support -
0:20:14 > 0:20:17it also made them realise that they had something to offer
0:20:17 > 0:20:20other families who'd been affected by Rett syndrome.
0:20:20 > 0:20:25I now help with the family support side of things,
0:20:25 > 0:20:29so newly-diagnosed families can speak to me
0:20:29 > 0:20:35and we talk about what it feels like to first have that diagnosis
0:20:35 > 0:20:40and, "Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?" which there is.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44It doesn't seem like a very big light, but there is.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47And while Claire's working for the charity,
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Danny is going to be clocking up some miles for them.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54We're going to try and raise some money for the charity.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58We're doing a walk, my brother and six of my friends.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01We're walking 125km for the charity.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05The reason we're doing the walk is to put precious funds
0:21:05 > 0:21:08into research and hopefully find a cure.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Danny and Claire have always been a really solid and calm couple,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14but we've seen them over this past year really grown in confidence
0:21:14 > 0:21:18and certainty. They really embrace Edie, they take joy in her.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23They accept her limitations while also pursuing a better path for her.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30When Danny and Claire first got that diagnosis
0:21:30 > 0:21:31of Rett syndrome for Edie,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34quite understandably, they were full of fear and anxiety,
0:21:34 > 0:21:38but then they quickly came into contact with people
0:21:38 > 0:21:41that could give them financial and emotional help
0:21:41 > 0:21:46and could demonstrate that Edie can grow up and progress in her own way
0:21:46 > 0:21:50while continuing to fill everyone around her with a great deal of joy.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Time now to return to the world of the scrounger.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Fraud teams at the Department for Work and Pensions
0:22:02 > 0:22:06and Richmond Council are investigating Aliyah Abbasi,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09who also goes by under the names Choudhry and Khan,
0:22:09 > 0:22:14because they suspect she's been claiming benefits while working.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17We had huge question marks over the identity.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22We had three names - Robina Abbasi, Aliyah Abbasi and Jameel Choudhry.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25We really needed to get to the bottom of this.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Mark's fraud team at the DWP were on her tail.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33When we had a reply from the transport service that showed
0:22:33 > 0:22:37that we had three photos on three separate passports,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39but all of the same woman,
0:22:39 > 0:22:43we then decided to go back to Connaught plc,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47who was one of her employers, to make further enquiries with them.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Aliyah had denied working at all and even volunteered to attend
0:22:51 > 0:22:56an ID parade at the company to prove that she'd never worked there.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01When we showed the passport photos to the company, Connaught,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05they then produced a photo taken from their records,
0:23:05 > 0:23:10which showed that these passport photos were all one and the same
0:23:10 > 0:23:15and the person in their employment photo was also the same person.
0:23:18 > 0:23:23So, she wasn't a victim of identity fraud - she was the fraudster.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27Mark also showed Aliyah's picture to investigators at Richmond,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30who confirmed that she was the person they'd interviewed
0:23:30 > 0:23:33and had been claiming Housing Benefit.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36But the case was unravelling even further.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39During the course of our enquiries,
0:23:39 > 0:23:41there was another enquiry made to Richmond Council
0:23:41 > 0:23:44by the Ealing local authority
0:23:44 > 0:23:47involving the name of Mohammed Choudhry.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50It turned out, there was a man in Ealing Council's jurisdiction
0:23:50 > 0:23:53who was living with a woman in Albert Road
0:23:53 > 0:23:55and Ealing's fraud investigators believed
0:23:55 > 0:23:58he was fraudulently claiming Housing Benefit
0:23:58 > 0:24:01because he actually owned two properties.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Guess what? The woman he was living with was one Aliyah Choudhry.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08It did start to look like an even bigger fraud.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Now they had a possible new address for Aliyah in Albert Road, Ealing.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Ealing fraud investigators knew she was claiming benefits
0:24:15 > 0:24:17in their borough as well.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Mark needed hard evidence to find out if it was his woman,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25where it was she was actually living and whether the two were a couple.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29In May 2011, an Asian female presented themselves
0:24:29 > 0:24:31at Twickenham Job Centre as Abbasi.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37In August of 2011, the same lady went to Ealing local authority
0:24:37 > 0:24:39and presented herself as Choudhry.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43At the same time, we were also watching a property in Southall.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48The person that came out of that property was the same person
0:24:48 > 0:24:51who presented themselves as Abbasi at Twickenham Jobcentre.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Aliyah was clearly living in Ealing with Mohammed Choudhry,
0:24:56 > 0:24:57not in Richmond.
0:24:57 > 0:24:58When they dug deeper,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02they even found joint bank accounts for the happy couple.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08So, our investigators had multiple names, multiple claims
0:25:08 > 0:25:11and multiple properties.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13In the middle of it all - our couple.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16The councils mustered their troops
0:25:16 > 0:25:19and got ready to knock on a couple of doors.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22The arrest was conducted early morning in April 2012,
0:25:22 > 0:25:26where the police arrested Miss Choudhry at Albert Road, Southall.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28During the course of the arrest,
0:25:28 > 0:25:30the police conducted a search of the properties
0:25:30 > 0:25:33and actually found evidence which proved
0:25:33 > 0:25:35that she had worked for Connaught plc
0:25:35 > 0:25:37and also showed that she had used
0:25:37 > 0:25:41both the identities Abbasi and Choudhry.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45They also checked out her address, Mason Close, in Richmond,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47where they uncovered even more.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51We had to force entry to the property
0:25:51 > 0:25:53as there was nobody home when we called.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57It became apparent that the property was not being used
0:25:57 > 0:25:59for residential purposes.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01There wasn't even a bed in the bedroom.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05The property was obviously being sub-let to a business
0:26:05 > 0:26:08to be run from it and not for the purpose that we were paying
0:26:08 > 0:26:09the Housing Benefit at the time.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14So, she was renting out Mason Close as an office.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18The investigators had yet another allegation to put to Aliyah,
0:26:18 > 0:26:20but when they brought her in for an interview,
0:26:20 > 0:26:22she wasn't very talkative.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Once she was arrested, she was booked into custody
0:26:26 > 0:26:31and with her legal representative, she was interviewed again.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35At that time, she presented a pre-written statement
0:26:35 > 0:26:40saying that she wished to admit to the fraud by misrepresentation
0:26:40 > 0:26:45with regards to her home address and was very sorry for her actions.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48She had nothing further to say at this particular time.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52It wasn't the full confession that the fraud team was hoping for,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55but the investigators had enough evidence to charge her
0:26:55 > 0:26:58with failing to notify of a change of circumstance.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Mohammed Choudhry was also arrested
0:27:00 > 0:27:04and charged with making false claims and representations.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07When we calculated what had been overpaid to Aliyah Choudhry,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11her Income Support overpayment totalled £20,000
0:27:11 > 0:27:15and her overpayment on Housing Benefit was £65,000.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19When we added that together to the overpayment in Mr Choudhry's case,
0:27:19 > 0:27:23it totalled just under £100,000.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27And 100 grand is a hefty wedge of taxpayers' money,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29but before the court case came around,
0:27:29 > 0:27:33the couple had put their hands up to everything and pled guilty.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37In March 2013,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40Aliyah Choudhry was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment
0:27:40 > 0:27:44and Mr Mohammed Choudhry was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49For all the fraud teams involved in the case, it was a great result.
0:27:51 > 0:27:57Without proactive data-matching exercises by the DWP,
0:27:57 > 0:28:01and then the co-operation of the council's fraud investigators,
0:28:01 > 0:28:05who knows how long Aliyah and Mohammed Choudhry's scam
0:28:05 > 0:28:07may have run?
0:28:07 > 0:28:09But two things are for certain -
0:28:09 > 0:28:10they got the jail time they deserved
0:28:10 > 0:28:14and the DWP's financial investigators
0:28:14 > 0:28:16won't be letting this one go in a hurry.