0:00:03 > 0:00:09Here in the UK, we're lucky to have things like transport networks, legal aid and free health care.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13I'm grateful that the NHS exists. I have personally benefited from it.
0:00:13 > 0:00:18The fact that the benefits are there when things go wrong is vital.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21These services are mostly paid for by us, the taxpayer,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24and on the whole, we don't mind.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28But what happens when someone tries to steal from the system?
0:00:28 > 0:00:32I think it's shocking that people lie to get benefits.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36It sickens me and saddens me. They're depriving people who need it.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40With the economy as tough as it is, it's more important than ever
0:00:40 > 0:00:44that those who nick from the system don't get away with it
0:00:44 > 0:00:48and those who need help get it.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51This is the world of Saints And Scroungers.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Coming up on today's show, the scroungers out to cheat the system -
0:00:59 > 0:01:05a pensioner on benefits leading a double life, ripping off the state for tens of thousands of pounds.
0:01:05 > 0:01:12The total overpayment was ?108,835.31.
0:01:12 > 0:01:18A fraudster claiming Disability Allowance with a secret job that required him to keep in shape.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22I observed him over three days where he performed a number of activities,
0:01:22 > 0:01:27including five minutes on a cross-trainer and also using the free weights.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30And we meet someone urgently in need of a helping hand.
0:01:30 > 0:01:36A woman who has brought up her family in the same council house for 30 years faces having to move
0:01:36 > 0:01:39after the introduction of the bedroom tax.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Now I'm unemployed. Where am I going to get 25% extra to pay my landlord?
0:01:43 > 0:01:46The potential was there that I would lose my home.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Council housing started in the late 19th century
0:01:53 > 0:01:57and it was designed to give accommodation to people on low incomes.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02It's a huge success judging by the fact that in the UK right now,
0:02:02 > 0:02:071.8 million people would love to be in a council house.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10With such desperate need for accommodation,
0:02:10 > 0:02:14no-one would take that kind of thing for granted, would they?
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Would they?
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Well, meet 68-year-old Susan Cohen,
0:02:20 > 0:02:25a pensioner living in a council house in Barnet who is getting help from the welfare system.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29She seemed like a deserving case for support from the state,
0:02:29 > 0:02:35but when fraud investigators in Barnet got some information from the Department for Work and Pensions,
0:02:35 > 0:02:37they saw her in a whole new light.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Barnet has the second largest population in London
0:02:40 > 0:02:45and it's due to grow by 4.4% over the next five years.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49I've come to the borough to find out more about her case.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54Clair Green is the Assurance Assistant Director at the council.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00How many council properties do you have in Barnet? We've got about 11,500 across the borough.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02A pretty high demand for them too.
0:03:02 > 0:03:08So, as soon as one of those becomes available, there will be someone who needs it? Yeah, absolutely.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11When did you first hear about the name Susan Cohen?
0:03:11 > 0:03:17We work very closely with the counter-fraud service at the Department of Work and Pensions,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19so we received a referral from them.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24What was it about Susan Cohen in particular that brought up a red flag for them?
0:03:24 > 0:03:28They had suspicions through looking into verifying a separate claim
0:03:28 > 0:03:33that they thought maybe she owned a property that we weren't aware of.
0:03:33 > 0:03:39So, to own a property and also be in receipt of benefit for another property,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41that doesn't feel right.
0:03:41 > 0:03:47No, that's pretty unusual, someone who owns a property who's in receipt of benefit.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51The information from the DWP prompted Clair straight into action
0:03:51 > 0:03:56and her first job was to dig out Miss Cohen's current claims.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01On paper, Miss Cohen presented herself as a pensioner
0:04:01 > 0:04:06who was in receipt of income support and pension credits, no other income.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08She had a council tenancy.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12She had been resident at the address since 1983
0:04:12 > 0:04:16and she stated on the form that she had no other interest in any other property.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21She didn't own any other properties or she didn't have any other income coming in.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26Susan Cohen was receiving nearly ?130
0:04:26 > 0:04:29in housing and council tax benefit
0:04:29 > 0:04:33and ?125 in pensioners' credits every week.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37After looking at what she had said on claim forms,
0:04:37 > 0:04:41the Barnet team delved further into what the DWP had uncovered.
0:04:41 > 0:04:47They had alerted Clair's team about Susan Cohen after investigating a tenant at a separate address.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51This tenant was claiming incapacity and housing benefit
0:04:51 > 0:04:55from a house in Booth Road in Barnet.
0:04:55 > 0:05:01During that investigation, fraud officers found two names linked to the ownership of that address -
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Cohen and Dwek.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08DWP records had a Susan Cohen claiming pension credits
0:05:08 > 0:05:12living at the council property in Woodburn Close
0:05:12 > 0:05:16and she hadn't declared that she owned any property,
0:05:16 > 0:05:21something that would have substantially affected her claim. Could this be the same person?
0:05:21 > 0:05:25The investigators in Barnet got straight on the case,
0:05:25 > 0:05:30checking the name Susan Cohen and Susan Dwek on their systems.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35And by trawling through years of paperwork dating back to 1983,
0:05:35 > 0:05:39the team got a break with some crucial information.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Tony Nash was a lead investigator in the case.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49You've got the name Dwek. Where does that name come from?
0:05:49 > 0:05:56That is Mrs Cohen's maiden name. Where did you find that information that linked those two names?
0:05:56 > 0:06:01We found that on an application form that had been received in March 2006.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06'So, from old benefit applications, the investigators now had evidence
0:06:06 > 0:06:12'that the two people Susan Dwek and Susan Cohen were in fact the same person.'
0:06:12 > 0:06:15So you've got Cohen equals Dwek.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Where do you take it next?
0:06:17 > 0:06:21We did some checks using our authorised officer powers
0:06:21 > 0:06:24to show bank account details
0:06:24 > 0:06:28and there was a tenant that she was being paid benefit to.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32It came back in the name of Susan Dwek.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35OK, let's get this straight.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Susan's council house was in Woodburn Close
0:06:38 > 0:06:43and the private property they believed she was receiving a rental income from
0:06:43 > 0:06:47in the name of Susan Dwek was in Booth Road.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52However, the fraud team noticed that she was also using a third address
0:06:52 > 0:06:56in Heriot Road in Hendon when writing to her tenant as Susan Dwek.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00The team did Land Registry checks on the two private addresses
0:07:00 > 0:07:04and the results they got back were surprising.
0:07:04 > 0:07:11She owned two properties, both of which she purchased without the need for a mortgage.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14So she's bought two houses for cash, it appears,
0:07:14 > 0:07:21and she's also claiming benefit for the council house she's got in her other name, Cohen. That's correct.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Does owning a property count you out from getting benefit?
0:07:25 > 0:07:28It does make a difference, yes,
0:07:28 > 0:07:32and the fact that she didn't have a mortgage on either property
0:07:32 > 0:07:35would negate any benefit entitlement.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Two houses and no mortgages.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43This woman was hardly a hard-up OAP.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48The investigators decided to pay Susan a visit at her council house
0:07:48 > 0:07:51in Woodburn Close in Barnet to get some answers.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56Susan Cohen had actually moved into the council property in 1983
0:07:56 > 0:08:01and had been claiming housing and council tax benefit since 1989.
0:08:01 > 0:08:08The council property was visited on several occasions and at no time was Mrs Cohen present there.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12The property looked empty and was unkempt.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15It didn't look as if it had been lived in for some time
0:08:15 > 0:08:22and also statements were taken to confirm that Mrs Cohen very rarely came to the property.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Hang on. Susan only visited the property,
0:08:26 > 0:08:30but she was meant to have been living there for 20-odd years.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35When investigators asked the neighbours, they said nobody lived in the house
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and people just came round to collect post.
0:08:38 > 0:08:44With thousands of people on the list for a council place in Barnet, here was one that was sat empty.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48The information matched what the DWP had told the Barnet team,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52so it was time to take stock of what they knew about this OAP.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56There were three properties.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00The first property was the council property which was left empty.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03The second property we believe Susan Cohen was living in herself
0:09:03 > 0:09:07and the third property we believe she was renting out.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10The investigators suspected that Susan Cohen was living
0:09:10 > 0:09:13at the house she owned in Heriot Road in Hendon
0:09:13 > 0:09:18and it was her property at Booth Road in Barnet where she was getting a rental income.
0:09:18 > 0:09:24When we checked our system, the investigation revealed that there was benefit being paid
0:09:24 > 0:09:28to the landlord of the tenant, Miss Cohen, under the alias name of Dwek.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33The investigators worked out that Susan had been getting taxpayers' money
0:09:33 > 0:09:37from her tenant in Booth Road for nearly a decade.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41She could have potentially pocketed as much as ?54,000
0:09:41 > 0:09:47as a landlord while claiming ?13,000 in benefits at the same time.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51It was time to interview her about her claim and her properties,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55but as we'll find out later, Susan thought she had done nothing wrong.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00Mrs Cohen gave a pre-prepared statement prior to the interview.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04"I deny being dishonest or gaining any financial benefit
0:10:04 > 0:10:07"from the properties I purchased in my own name."
0:10:11 > 0:10:16For now, it's farewell to the fraudsters that are trying to cheat the system and let's say hello
0:10:16 > 0:10:18to those who we call our saints
0:10:18 > 0:10:23who do everything to make sure that people who genuinely require help,
0:10:23 > 0:10:28but are too proud or don't know how to help themselves, get what they deserve.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36When you're bringing up a family, that tends to be your complete focus
0:10:36 > 0:10:41and if you're doing it right, eventually, they'll want to fly the nest and leave you on your own,
0:10:41 > 0:10:47but when you've got no-one but yourself to rely on, small things can have a big effect
0:10:47 > 0:10:53and, potentially, that small change can leave you jobless and without a home.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59Meet 54-year-old Jennifer Carty who brought up her four children
0:10:59 > 0:11:03in a three-bedroomed council house in south-east London.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07She had always worked and was happy with her job in a nursing home.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12I've always enjoyed the social interaction with people. I'm a people's person.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16As an administrator, I was sort of at the forefront of it
0:11:16 > 0:11:21because as people came in, it was me that they came to.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26I was responsible for showing them around the home,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29keeping records up to date,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32opening and closing the office.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Yeah, it was a very varied role.
0:11:36 > 0:11:42But after a reshuffle in management, she found herself where no hard-working person wants to be -
0:11:42 > 0:11:44unemployed and on the dole.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49Having to sign on caused me a lot of embarrassment.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54It wasn't something that I envisaged for my life.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57It wasn't a place where I wanted to be.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00For me, it was just degrading.
0:12:00 > 0:12:06What I feared most of all was that I wouldn't get a job
0:12:06 > 0:12:11and that I would be labelled as "lazy"
0:12:11 > 0:12:14or, you know, a scrounger.
0:12:14 > 0:12:20Jennifer had to claim Jobseeker's Allowance to keep her head above water,
0:12:20 > 0:12:25but was finding it hard to survive on the ?57 a week she was getting,
0:12:25 > 0:12:30then a change in welfare law meant she had to face another massive problem -
0:12:30 > 0:12:33having to pay more for her home in rent.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37When I first heard about the bedroom tax,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40it did cause me concern.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42So there I was unemployed
0:12:42 > 0:12:48and struggling, you know, just to find money for basic things
0:12:48 > 0:12:53and, you know, it was really, really difficult.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57They were telling me that I would have to pay 25%.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02Now, I'm unemployed. Where am I going to get 25% extra to pay my landlord?
0:13:02 > 0:13:06The so-called bedroom tax affects tenants in social housing
0:13:06 > 0:13:10who have large properties and are not occupying all of the bedrooms.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Under the new regulations, their housing benefit is lowered,
0:13:14 > 0:13:20so they are charged for having spare rooms. Jennifer had two spare bedrooms she couldn't now afford.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24It meant she'd have to move, potentially away from south-east London.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26I was born in the borough
0:13:26 > 0:13:30and it's always been home to me.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35The family home was always a family home.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Everybody socialised there.
0:13:38 > 0:13:45I had a lovely place and all the family used to come round and we'd have meals.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48All the grandchildren came along
0:13:48 > 0:13:53and they'd come and we'd go on trips and play in the garden.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56It was just a lovely environment to be in.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01The last of Jennifer's children moved out of the family home in 2011,
0:14:01 > 0:14:07but they all decided to settle close by, near to where Jennifer's mum also lived.
0:14:07 > 0:14:13The house where Jennifer raised her daughters was a very caring place.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17She gave them her all. She looked after them the best she could.
0:14:17 > 0:14:23They were happy and very contented because of what Jennifer did for them.
0:14:23 > 0:14:29Jennifer had been enjoying her independence after the children had flown the nest,
0:14:29 > 0:14:33but keeping the house was now looking almost impossible.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36My family had all grown up and they had all moved out,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39so it was just me in this big house
0:14:39 > 0:14:46and there I was struggling to pay for the heating and the lighting, the gas and everything.
0:14:46 > 0:14:53It soon became apparent that I would need to do something because I just couldn't maintain it.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58With the prospect of losing her home and moving out of the area that she loved,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02Jennifer's need to find a job became even more urgent.
0:15:02 > 0:15:08I tried to find work in so many different avenues.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12I would be on the internet. I'd go for interviews.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15I'd send out letters.
0:15:15 > 0:15:21Half the time you... In fact, the majority of the time, you just wouldn't get a response.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23And it would leave me feeling...
0:15:23 > 0:15:26It just accelerated that downward spiral.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30I'd think, "Well, what is it? What's wrong with me?
0:15:30 > 0:15:35"I'm not stupid. I do have qualifications. Why is it I'm not getting a job?"
0:15:35 > 0:15:37But it just wasn't happening.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Imagine how frustrating that must be for Jennifer.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46She's looking for a new job. She's got the skills and the experience to get one,
0:15:46 > 0:15:50but no matter how hard she tries, nothing is forthcoming.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55Instead, she's on benefits and getting more and more depressed.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01There were days when I really didn't want to get out of bed, to be honest.
0:16:01 > 0:16:07I would cry because I would think to myself, you know, "I haven't got any money,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11"I can't actually even feed myself and clothe myself.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14"I don't want to be relying on anyone.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17"I don't want to be relying on the state."
0:16:17 > 0:16:24But there were many times when I'd have to go to my mum to eat because, you know, I just didn't have it.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28It was fast turning into an unmanageable situation
0:16:28 > 0:16:32and one that Jennifer desperately wanted to get out of.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34It was really hard for her
0:16:34 > 0:16:38because she had to sort of rely on me
0:16:38 > 0:16:41for food and anything.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45And she never liked that because she's a very particular person.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49She likes to do things...freely
0:16:49 > 0:16:55and when she has to depend on anybody else, it really makes her angry.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00Jennifer needed help and she eventually got some, but from an unlikely source -
0:17:00 > 0:17:05her landlords, a non-profit housing association, Family Mosaic.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Carol Barnes Alexander works in their Housing Options Team
0:17:09 > 0:17:14and one of their roles is to help people who are affected by bedroom tax.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19In April 2013, the government introduced bedroom tax.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22And this resulted in deductions
0:17:22 > 0:17:25for people under-occupying their property.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29If a person had one spare room,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32they would be deducted 14%.
0:17:32 > 0:17:38If they had two or more spare rooms, they would be deducted 25% from their housing benefit.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43Part of my role as Bedroom Tax Project Officer
0:17:43 > 0:17:48was to actually contact the tenants who are actually affected by bedroom tax.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Carol immediately got on the case
0:17:51 > 0:17:55and her team were on hand to discuss Jennifer's situation with her.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00When I spoke to Jennifer on the telephone, she was in a three-bedroom property
0:18:00 > 0:18:03and she wanted to move to a one-bedroom property,
0:18:03 > 0:18:09so that she would no longer have to pay the 25% deduction of housing benefit.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12How many people are there in your household at the moment?
0:18:12 > 0:18:16There's just myself. How many bedrooms do you have?
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Well, it's a three/four-bedroom... Oh, right.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25Obviously, when I initially got it, it was a family house and I had four children,
0:18:25 > 0:18:31so now that they've all grown up and gone away and done their own thing,
0:18:31 > 0:18:37it's just left me now, but I do understand the pressure on the housing market.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42Jennifer was getting some much-needed advice from the housing association and wanted to find a way
0:18:42 > 0:18:47to downsize to avoid the deduction in the housing benefit she relied on,
0:18:47 > 0:18:53but she was also looking for a way to increase her income and get off Jobseeker's Allowance.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Once again, help was at hand.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59I had struggled for a long time on my own just trying to get work,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02but it wasn't happening,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06so one of the people that I turned to was Patricia Evans.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10She really was a great source of support for me.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15Patricia was part of the housing association team's employment section
0:19:15 > 0:19:17that Jennifer was referred to.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21When I first met Jennifer, her main issue was that she was affected
0:19:21 > 0:19:23by the welfare reform.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Her housing benefit had been reduced by 25%
0:19:26 > 0:19:32and she was out of work and needed to get back into work in the quickest time possible.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37Two teams at Family Mosaic were now supporting Jennifer,
0:19:37 > 0:19:43but would they be able to help her keep her home or at least find her a new one in the same area?
0:19:43 > 0:19:48As we find out later, Carol had a scheme that just might help.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Now, from those in need of help
0:19:56 > 0:20:01to those who swindle the very same system to claim money to which they are not entitled.
0:20:01 > 0:20:07Here in the UK, the Department for Work and Pensions has a safety net in place
0:20:07 > 0:20:11to help those who are genuinely diagnosed with an illness or disability.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15You could end up with a Blue Badge to help you get around,
0:20:15 > 0:20:19a much-needed cash injection or even home help, and that's only fair.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24But what isn't fair is when some people try to use that safety net
0:20:24 > 0:20:29to systematically scam you and me, the taxpayer.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34Now, only a tiny percentage of disability claimants do cheat the system,
0:20:34 > 0:20:38but the money they claim fraudulently does add up
0:20:38 > 0:20:43and when the Department for Work and Pensions received a tip-off that someone claiming to be disabled
0:20:43 > 0:20:48was performing regularly on stage, they were understandably eager to find out more.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53I mean, surely anyone with moves like that couldn't be seriously disabled.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57The tip-off claimed this show-stopper was Mark Hawthorn.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Fraud investigator Lisa Prince was handed the case.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Mr Hawthorn came to my attention back in January 2011.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08I checked against our departmental records to establish first of all
0:21:08 > 0:21:13if Mark Hawthorn was in receipt of any Disability Living Allowance benefits.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17I established that he was in the highest rate of mobility
0:21:17 > 0:21:20and the higher rate of care and had been since 1998.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Mark's claims for help had seemed perfectly reasonable.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28He claimed he had been suffering a long-term illness since 1998
0:21:28 > 0:21:31which caused him significant pain and discomfort.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Mr Hawthorn had stated that he suffered with nausea.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41He could only walk 50 metres in five minutes before the onset of severe discomfort.
0:21:41 > 0:21:47He required help with his care needs, in particular dressing and undressing.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52He had night sweats and was unable to get in and out of a chair.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54He also suffered muscle wastage.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Mark was receiving nearly ?145 Income Support
0:21:58 > 0:22:03and just over ?63 Disability Living Allowance every week
0:22:03 > 0:22:07as well as Housing and Council Tax Benefits.
0:22:07 > 0:22:13To find out if he was performing on stage, Lisa knew he would probably be promoting himself
0:22:13 > 0:22:19on the internet. She used her authorised powers to look at social networking sites and she found
0:22:19 > 0:22:21some interesting footage.
0:22:22 > 0:22:29I then undertook internet searches and soon discovered that he was working under the guise
0:22:29 > 0:22:35of Tilly and also working in a double act as part of Glitterlips.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40It was quite apparent from what I observed on the internet search sites that his disabilities
0:22:40 > 0:22:46appeared to be inconsistent with what he'd stated on his claim forms.
0:22:46 > 0:22:52There appeared to be a blatant abuse of his capabilities and exaggeration of his care needs.
0:22:54 > 0:23:00So Mark was working as a drag artist wearing high heels, big wigs
0:23:00 > 0:23:06and throwing some serious shapes on stage. People who claim Disability are allowed to work,
0:23:06 > 0:23:12but it was the physical exertion required to do his job that was worrying Lisa,
0:23:12 > 0:23:17plus any earnings would affect his entitlement to the other benefits.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22I identified a main agent that he was subcontracted to.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27I approached the agent concerned and obtained witness statements and also ledgers
0:23:27 > 0:23:32of payments made to Mr Hawthorn going back to 2003
0:23:32 > 0:23:40to 2012, where it clearly showed that he'd been paid cash over that period
0:23:40 > 0:23:44for performances he'd undertaken both as Tilly and as Glitterlips.
0:23:44 > 0:23:51So Mark, under his various stage names, was earning money from not just one act, but two
0:23:51 > 0:23:55and he was looking distinctly limber. For an open and shut case,
0:23:55 > 0:23:59Lisa needed to establish how fit and healthy he was now.
0:23:59 > 0:24:05The anonymous tip-off also claimed he was a regular at a local fitness centre.
0:24:05 > 0:24:12Time for Lisa to get her gym gear on. I undertook surveillance inside the gym, with permission.
0:24:12 > 0:24:17I observed him over three consecutive days in January, 2012,
0:24:17 > 0:24:22where he performed a number of activities including five minutes on a cross trainer,
0:24:22 > 0:24:28lifting weights in excess of 85 kilos, doing arm presses, bench presses, sit-ups.
0:24:28 > 0:24:34And also using the free weights as well. Blimey, I couldn't do that!
0:24:34 > 0:24:39This guy's not just fit, he's Olympic standard.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44Lisa had seen enough and decided to bring Mark Hawthorn in for questioning.
0:24:44 > 0:24:50Mr Hawthorn was arrested at his home address. Police undertook a search and seizure on our behalf
0:24:50 > 0:24:55where we discovered diaries and ledgers going back to 2003,
0:24:55 > 0:25:00showing him performing and earning cash payments in respect of his acts.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05These were damning documents. When investigators interviewed Mark,
0:25:05 > 0:25:11he didn't deny any of the evidence, but said he still had bad days with the illness.
0:25:11 > 0:25:17At Stafford Crown Court on 29th July, 2013, Mark Hawthorn pleaded guilty
0:25:17 > 0:25:22to three counts of failing to declare a change of circumstances
0:25:22 > 0:25:26and two counts of knowingly being fraudulent.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30It was time for him to face a very different kind of music.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35When he was sentenced, we went along to see justice in action.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39Sian Fellows was the Unit Fraud Investigator on the case.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41We're at Stafford Crown Court today.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46One of our benefit fraud investigations has been heard and sentenced.
0:25:46 > 0:25:52In total, between 2003 and 2012, Mark Hawthorn fraudulently claimed
0:25:52 > 0:25:55just over ?88,000.
0:25:55 > 0:26:00As he walked into court, his mobility didn't seem restricted at all.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04You may be interested to learn that he never walked out again.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09Mark Hawthorn has just received a six-month sentence.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12He's gone away today to prison.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17I think that the penalty is a fair one.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Mr Hawthorn had an indefinite award of Disability Living Allowance
0:26:21 > 0:26:25which could have gone on for a considerable number of years.
0:26:25 > 0:26:32For us to make that intervention to identify abuse that had gone on for a considerable time,
0:26:32 > 0:26:38we're really pleased with the outcome and hopefully it will deter people from doing this in future.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47It's time to leave the world of phoneys and fraudsters and turn our attention
0:26:47 > 0:26:51to people who really need the help of the benefits system.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55After the introduction of Bedroom Tax in April, 2013,
0:26:55 > 0:27:00the three-bedroomed house Jennifer Cardy had brought her children up in became unaffordable
0:27:00 > 0:27:05and she urgently had to find a smaller place to live.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10Out of work for two years, her finances were dire, and the team at her housing association
0:27:10 > 0:27:12were on hand to help.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17I know that a lot of people might not be willing
0:27:17 > 0:27:19to downsize,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22but for me that was not an issue.
0:27:22 > 0:27:30The issue more was that I should be able to get somewhere within the area.
0:27:30 > 0:27:36My family grew up in the area and I have lots of links within the area.
0:27:36 > 0:27:42And my mum, who depends on me quite a lot, was actually just up the road from me.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46So it was important that I was available for her.
0:27:46 > 0:27:52Carol Barnes Alexander from Family Mosaic suggested that the best way forward for Jennifer would be
0:27:52 > 0:27:55to join a home-swapping scheme.
0:27:55 > 0:28:02I told Jennifer that mutual exchange was a very good option. It's the quickest route to be rehoused.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06Mutual exchange does make it easier to stay within an area.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09You have that choice of areas.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14Carol's team was on hand to help Jennifer start the process.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19Let me explain about the bedroom tax and how it would affect you.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24Obviously, at the moment, with two or more spare rooms, and you've got more than two,
0:28:24 > 0:28:29you'll be looking at a 25% cut in your housing benefit.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33Right. You've looked on the HomeSwapper website. Yeah.
0:28:33 > 0:28:40There's lots of places on there. You can specify. What you need to do is find somewhere ideal for you.
0:28:40 > 0:28:45Once you do that, we can then help you arrange a mutual exchange with that partner.
0:28:45 > 0:28:50Facing a 25% cut in her Housing Benefit,
0:28:50 > 0:28:55Jennifer knew she couldn't stay in the house she called home.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59But she didn't need the space. The kids had upped and moved away.
0:28:59 > 0:29:06Taking part in a mutual exchange meant that not only could she afford to stay in the area
0:29:06 > 0:29:13that she knew and loved, but she'd also be freeing up a property for a family that really needed it.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17Swapping her three-bedroomed home for a smaller council property
0:29:17 > 0:29:23would mean the Bedroom Tax that had crippled her financially would no longer be a problem.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27Jennifer got straight on the case. I decided to go on the internet
0:29:27 > 0:29:31and see, you know, what was available.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35Jennifer actually registered herself.
0:29:35 > 0:29:41She was quite pro-active in that way. She then came in to Family Mosaic offices,
0:29:41 > 0:29:46where we helped to upload photographs on to the HomeSwapper website.
0:29:46 > 0:29:51I'd made the decision to move and that side was coming nicely.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55But I still needed to sort out the employment side.
0:29:55 > 0:30:00Jennifer suspected it was her age preventing her from getting a job.
0:30:00 > 0:30:06The Employment Officer at the housing association knows that it's a common problem.
0:30:06 > 0:30:12It is normal for people in their 50s to perceive that it is harder
0:30:12 > 0:30:15to find work because of their age.
0:30:15 > 0:30:20In my own opinion, I think the fact that they are that age
0:30:20 > 0:30:23is what they bring to the workplace.
0:30:23 > 0:30:28When I initially met with Patricia and spoke with her
0:30:29 > 0:30:33and she went through all my skills and what have you,
0:30:33 > 0:30:37she began to encourage me.
0:30:37 > 0:30:42And from where I was coming from, the depression
0:30:42 > 0:30:48and all the anxiety that I felt with being unemployed, she really did lift me.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52Patricia was determined to get Jennifer back into the workplace
0:30:52 > 0:31:00and thought that Deena Saleh, a specialist employment broker, could kickstart her prospects.
0:31:00 > 0:31:05She's a very bright lady. I was helping her,
0:31:05 > 0:31:11contacting her on a weekly basis, sometimes three or four times a week. Like a Jack Russell!
0:31:11 > 0:31:17Now Jennifer had two people at the association on the case, helping her to find work.
0:31:17 > 0:31:23They really helped me because I felt they were passionate about getting me a job.
0:31:23 > 0:31:29Deena looked at Jennifer's work history and skills and filtered her job search to find roles
0:31:29 > 0:31:36where Jennifer could really excel. She's very organised. I did feel that she would really do well
0:31:36 > 0:31:44as a receptionist somewhere, dealing with people, using her organisational skills.
0:31:44 > 0:31:50And just a few months later Deena spotted a vacancy for Jennifer that ticked all the right boxes.
0:31:50 > 0:31:56There was one particular job that I'd seen online and I called them
0:31:56 > 0:32:02because a job description is fine, but I really needed to know what sort of person.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05Give me some details, you know?
0:32:05 > 0:32:10And she did. I said to her at the time, "I've got the exact person
0:32:10 > 0:32:15"that would be absolutely amazing for this role."
0:32:15 > 0:32:19The job was working as a receptionist in a dentist's surgery
0:32:19 > 0:32:23and Deena arranged for Jennifer to go in for an interview.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25'When I walked in to this interview,
0:32:25 > 0:32:29'em, I was nervous.'
0:32:29 > 0:32:35So it was a case of girding yourself up and saying, "Right, I know I can do it.
0:32:35 > 0:32:40"I've just got to let THEM know I can do it."
0:32:40 > 0:32:44When Jennifer arrived, it was obvious she was a mature lady.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48I was extremely grateful. Another mature lady in the practice.
0:32:48 > 0:32:53She was calm, collected, well-dressed, well-presented. She listened,
0:32:53 > 0:33:00she asked questions, she took notes and seemed to fit all the bills that Deena said she would do.
0:33:00 > 0:33:05The manager looked at me and said, "You've got the job."
0:33:05 > 0:33:09And I thought, "Yes! Thank you!"
0:33:09 > 0:33:16She'd done it. Deena and the employment team had got her back into the workplace
0:33:16 > 0:33:23and she no longer had to rely on Jobseeker's Allowance, something she never wanted to have to claim.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28Now I can actually look forward to going to work in the morning.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32I can look forward to a holiday, which I haven't had for many years.
0:33:32 > 0:33:40It's a good feeling. And, you know, the independence. I don't have to rely on anyone now.
0:33:40 > 0:33:46I'm extremely happy that Jennifer's where she is now. She just so deserves it.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50She's worked hard to get there, it was not an easy road,
0:33:50 > 0:33:54but she's got there, you know. And she's working
0:33:54 > 0:34:01and she deserves every piece of happiness that comes her way.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05The next thing Jennifer needed to do was to sort out her housing.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09Her three-bedroom council house was draining her financially.
0:34:09 > 0:34:15She needed affordable housing near her family and friends and the housing association was on the case,
0:34:15 > 0:34:20helping her to find a council tenant with a smaller house or flat to swap with.
0:34:20 > 0:34:27Jennifer had been looking at potential house swaps for months and had viewed many properties.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31Finding a good swap wasn't easy, but finally she found a match.
0:34:31 > 0:34:37These are the documents we'll be going through with yourself and the exchange partner. OK.
0:34:37 > 0:34:43The first two are the assignment of tenancy and the licence, which both of you sign.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47These are documents which basically switch over the two tenancies.
0:34:47 > 0:34:52One says, "I'll take over your tenancy, you'll take over mine."
0:34:52 > 0:34:56The other says you'll take over responsibility for the premises.
0:34:56 > 0:35:02So just days after she got her new job, she also found a one-bedroom flat in south-east London
0:35:02 > 0:35:06with which she fell in love. When I first viewed it,
0:35:06 > 0:35:09I thought, "Yes!"
0:35:09 > 0:35:14At last I can actually see myself living here now.
0:35:14 > 0:35:20But when I actually walked in to this property, I knew it was the one.
0:35:20 > 0:35:25I felt quite comfortable with it, so, yeah, it's worked out well.
0:35:25 > 0:35:30Luckily, the tenants of the one-bedroom flat were in need of a bigger property
0:35:30 > 0:35:36and Jennifer's house just fit the bill. Now both are in the right housing and, more importantly,
0:35:36 > 0:35:40filling all the bedrooms.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43For me, giving it up to another family
0:35:43 > 0:35:46was very fulfilling for me.
0:35:46 > 0:35:51I felt that I was offering that to someone else
0:35:51 > 0:35:55because I remember my experience and where I was coming from.
0:35:55 > 0:36:01Because the lady that's now in my property has two children
0:36:01 > 0:36:05and they were all in one room. It just brought it all back to me.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09I was really happy to let her have that place.
0:36:11 > 0:36:16Thanks to the help of the two teams at the housing association,
0:36:16 > 0:36:19Jennifer is in every way in a much more positive place.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24Being able to have my independence back, not being dependent on the state,
0:36:24 > 0:36:28I just feel like everything's come together. It's really good.
0:36:31 > 0:36:37For someone who was used to working to pay her way, suddenly Jennifer found herself in a situation
0:36:37 > 0:36:43she wasn't used to. She had no job and without that job, she couldn't afford to stay in the place
0:36:43 > 0:36:47that she called home. She needed help on both fronts.
0:36:47 > 0:36:55Luckily, there was somebody there to help her find a job that suited her and a place that felt like home.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04Time now to return to the self-seeking world of the scrounger.
0:37:05 > 0:37:11The fraud team at Barnet Council are investigating the case of pensioner Susan Cohen
0:37:11 > 0:37:16who's been claiming benefits from her council property since 1989,
0:37:16 > 0:37:22despite the fact that she owned private properties in her maiden name, Susan Dwek.
0:37:22 > 0:37:28So she's receiving Housing Benefit for her own property and Council Tax benefit.
0:37:28 > 0:37:35She's also receiving a rental income in the form of Housing Benefit from another tenant.
0:37:35 > 0:37:41At this stage, are you giving her the benefit of the doubt? How does an investigation work?
0:37:41 > 0:37:47We carried on the investigation and asked Mrs Cohen to come in for an interview,
0:37:47 > 0:37:51which she failed to do so. So we organised to arrest her.
0:37:51 > 0:37:57She came to the property. It was a pre-arranged meet with the council officer.
0:37:57 > 0:38:03And she turned up. She was arrested and taken back to Colindale Police Station
0:38:03 > 0:38:05and interviewed under caution.
0:38:05 > 0:38:10The investigators wanted answers to a number of questions,
0:38:10 > 0:38:14but Susan Cohen would only give them one. "No comment".
0:38:15 > 0:38:19Mrs Cohen gave a pre-prepared statement prior to the interview
0:38:19 > 0:38:22in which she states at the start,
0:38:22 > 0:38:29"I, Susan Cohen, have been informed of the allegations and wish to make a short written statement.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33"I deny being dishonest or gaining any financial benefit
0:38:33 > 0:38:37"from the properties I have purchased in my own name." She goes on to say
0:38:37 > 0:38:41that the properties were held in trust for her daughter.
0:38:41 > 0:38:46However, Land Registry checks show that it was clearly in her name
0:38:46 > 0:38:50with no other names included on the Land Registry documents.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55Susan wasn't being straight with investigators
0:38:55 > 0:39:00and the fraud team wasted no time in taking action.
0:39:00 > 0:39:06After the interview under caution, the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit claim was reassessed,
0:39:06 > 0:39:11resulting in an overpayment of ?56,000.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15In addition, the DWP reassessed their figures
0:39:15 > 0:39:20and there was an overpayment of ?36,000.
0:39:21 > 0:39:28Susan had swindled over 92,000 quid, a staggering amount of taxpayers' cash.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32The team was also now dealing with a potentially massive fraud case
0:39:32 > 0:39:39in relation to her council property which had sat empty for 10 years with thousands on the waiting list.
0:39:39 > 0:39:45If that wasn't bad enough, officers uncovered another possible fraud when they investigated
0:39:45 > 0:39:48her rental property in Booth Road.
0:39:50 > 0:39:55The property where it was believed Susan Cohen had a tenant
0:39:55 > 0:40:02was also visited on several occasions and this showed that the property was empty as well.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06Hold on a minute. The house that she was renting out was empty,
0:40:06 > 0:40:12but where was Susan's tenant who she was getting taxpayers' money to house?
0:40:12 > 0:40:18At this point, we believed she'd been receiving benefit in respect of her tenant since 1999,
0:40:18 > 0:40:25but in 2008 the tenant had moved out and Miss Cohen, under the name Dwek, had continued to receive benefit.
0:40:26 > 0:40:33So Susan had been pocketing her tenant's Housing Benefit money after they moved out.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36How long had this been going on?
0:40:36 > 0:40:43For the period of time that the property was empty, Miss Cohen had received about ?16,500 in benefit
0:40:43 > 0:40:47as the landlady under the name Dwek to which she wasn't entitled.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51So she had potentially stolen thousands of pounds in addition
0:40:51 > 0:40:55and the final cost to the state was huge.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00The total overpayment was ?108,835.31
0:41:01 > 0:41:07So the victims in this case weren't just taxpayers losing cash.
0:41:07 > 0:41:13They were families losing out on a council home in Barnet when one was being used to commit fraud.
0:41:13 > 0:41:21After a lengthy investigation, Susan Cohen was finally put on trial on the 13th November, 2012.
0:41:21 > 0:41:26At the Crown Court, she was charged with seven counts of benefit fraud.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Susan Cohen attended Wood Green Crown Court and she pleaded guilty.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36Despite her early denials, Susan decided to come clean
0:41:36 > 0:41:42and she was sentenced to eight months in prison. Barnet Council took back the council property
0:41:42 > 0:41:46that she was supposedly living in while claiming benefits.
0:41:46 > 0:41:53Her conviction and custodial sentence was a great result, but now they had another battle -
0:41:53 > 0:41:59to get Susan Cohen to repay over ?108,000 that she'd stolen from the taxpayer.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04A huge sum of money's gone the wrong way.
0:42:04 > 0:42:09Under Proceeds of Crime, there's ongoing confiscation proceedings.
0:42:09 > 0:42:15That's yet to be resolved, but we've got a restraining order on her and hope to get all the money back.
0:42:15 > 0:42:21I suppose more important than all of that, really, is the fact that there's a property which,
0:42:21 > 0:42:26for many years, wasn't being used and that is now back out there being occupied.
0:42:26 > 0:42:33Yeah, that's right. We got the property back and it's been re-let to someone in genuine need.
0:42:33 > 0:42:39It was a fantastic result for the investigators. Barnet Council has made someone very happy
0:42:39 > 0:42:44and eventually the fraud team hope to recover all the taxpayers' money.
0:42:44 > 0:42:51So now Cohen's council house has been given to someone that both needs and deserves it.
0:42:51 > 0:42:56And for her crimes she's been given a different kind of property.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00This one comes with an eight-month lease.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd