0:00:02 > 0:00:05Think about it - what would you do if you had a bad run of luck?
0:00:05 > 0:00:11The chances are that you would end up turning to government agencies for a bit of help.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13We're very lucky to have a welfare state
0:00:13 > 0:00:16and I think a lot of people don't appreciate it.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18My husband is disabled.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Without the benefit system, we would have found things very difficult.
0:00:21 > 0:00:26Here in the UK, millions of us need to ask for help every year.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29In the form of benefits, legal aid and health care.
0:00:29 > 0:00:35But there are some people who are out there to cheat the system out of as much as they can.
0:00:35 > 0:00:40Benefit cheats are criminals and they should be treated accordingly.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44How are these people managing to get away with this?
0:00:44 > 0:00:48Those people who are trying to get rich from the public purse are now being sniffed out
0:00:48 > 0:00:55by investigators who want to make sure that as much money as possible is available to those who need it.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58This is the world of Saints and Scroungers.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Coming up - the scroungers that are out to beat the system.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09A business owner who used the Government's Access to Work scheme
0:01:09 > 0:01:12to line his own pockets to the tune of ?2 million.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16The computers were full of very strong evidence.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17And a man who claimed benefit,
0:01:17 > 0:01:21saying his crippling arthritis kept him housebound,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23but who is a lot nimbler than he made out.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26He's lifting cumbersome, heavy objects.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31He's walking at a normal pace, there is no evidence of limp, or pain in his back or hip.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35He's not doing it slowly as one might expect if someone was in severe pain.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37And those in need of a helping hand
0:01:37 > 0:01:40- a woman who's battled with epilepsy all her life
0:01:40 > 0:01:43and desperately needs support to get into the work place.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49What I really wanted to do, is I wanted to learn
0:01:49 > 0:01:53and I also wanted to work and I wanted to get a job that
0:01:53 > 0:01:56I could actually be proud of and move up in the world.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03You all right?
0:02:03 > 0:02:08We have 190,000 prangs every year in the UK.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11That's a lot of bumps and dents.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16It's no laughing matter, because if you're injured as a result of a car crash,
0:02:16 > 0:02:21you could end up missing work and then you will be reliant on the Government for your income.
0:02:21 > 0:02:27And if you're faking it, you could be on a collision course with their investigators.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Meet Barry Brooks from the London borough of Bromley,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34southeast of central London, with a population of nearly 300,000.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39In the 1990s, Brooks had a car accident which left him
0:02:39 > 0:02:42with serious back, head and neck injuries.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45He was so badly hurt he was barely able to feed himself.
0:02:47 > 0:02:53He'd suffered some kind of whiplash injury that effectively had disabled him.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57In fact, he was described in some of the documents as tetraplegic,
0:02:57 > 0:03:03which would make him seriously, seriously disabled.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06He was confined to a wheelchair and because his injuries were so severe,
0:03:06 > 0:03:11he was entitled to the highest rate of incapacity benefit.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15But in 2001, things started to look up.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Thanks to the Department for Work and Pensions and the Access to Work scheme,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Barry Brooks was able to return to the workplace.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27The Access to Work scheme is a series of grants that can be claimed
0:03:27 > 0:03:30to cover various needs for somebody who's disabled,
0:03:30 > 0:03:34in order to allow them full access to employment.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Access to Work grants can be claimed as a company,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39on behalf of a company, rather than an individual.
0:03:39 > 0:03:46This is where a company would employ disabled people and make the claims on their behalf.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51So for example, if I was running a company and I had three employees who were disabled
0:03:51 > 0:03:56and couldn't use standard computer equipment, I would then make a claim to Access to Work
0:03:56 > 0:04:00to get the correct computer equipment in order that they could do their job properly.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05The scheme can also pay for transport to and from work
0:04:05 > 0:04:10and even if an employee has to move between different sites.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Specially adapted office equipment can be claimed,
0:04:12 > 0:04:17or even a support worker if someone needs help to do their job.
0:04:17 > 0:04:23Barry Brooks worked for a variety of charities and claimed his expenses through the scheme.
0:04:23 > 0:04:29But in 2004, Barry decided to set up his own business, the Access Audit Corporation Ltd
0:04:29 > 0:04:32- not to be confused with similar sounding companies.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37Making himself company director, he employed six people, all of whom had disabilities.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Brooks made claims on their behalf for taxis to and from work.
0:04:41 > 0:04:46He did as well, as he travelled in and out every day by London taxi.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49For his work improving the lives of disabled people,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Barry Brooks was hailed a disability champion.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56But in August 2009, suspicions were raised and the Access to Work
0:04:56 > 0:05:00team in Harrow contacted the fraud investigators.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04The case landed on the desk of team fraud investigator, Andy MacDonald.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10We realised that there were substantial claims being made for travel in work.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14Thousands and thousands of pounds worth of computer equipment had been claimed by this company.
0:05:14 > 0:05:20Also on top of this, there are payments made for what is termed a support worker.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24In fact, virtually everything that could be claimed for under Access to Work
0:05:24 > 0:05:28was being claimed by this one company over a period of years.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31He started off by claiming smaller amounts of money.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Gradually escalated.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36When challenged, he would provide some kind of proof to those who needed to see it,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40in order that all of the claims appeared genuine.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Jackie Raja is the head of
0:05:44 > 0:05:48the Department for Work and Pensions Financial Investigations Unit.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53I've come to the headquarters to find out more about their role in this case.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56How did you first come to hear about him?
0:05:56 > 0:06:00The investigator in the case was contacted by the criminal investigation team.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03They asked for the financial investigation unit to come on board
0:06:03 > 0:06:07to bring some of the specialist skills that we've got to support the investigation.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12So you weren't looking just at Barry making claims, it was other people?
0:06:12 > 0:06:16Yes, it was the scale of the operation of the business he was running.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19There was doubt cast over a whole range of people
0:06:19 > 0:06:21and the claims that they were making.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22What was the suspicion then?
0:06:22 > 0:06:26The suspicion was that some of the claims that were being made to this grant
0:06:26 > 0:06:30were being really exaggerated to quite an outstanding degree -
0:06:30 > 0:06:33hundreds of pounds being over-claimed.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37And that wasn't all that was ringing alarm bells.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39When we did our checks on Barry Brooks,
0:06:39 > 0:06:43it became apparent that as well as running this company,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46he was also claiming disability benefits himself.
0:06:46 > 0:06:52In fact, the departmental records show this gentleman as being severely disabled,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55in fact, wheelchair-bound for several years,
0:06:55 > 0:07:00and had been claiming higher rate of disability throughout this period.
0:07:00 > 0:07:06At this point, the investigators had no reason to believe that Brooks wasn't genuinely disabled.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08But having seen the type of business he was running,
0:07:08 > 0:07:13they were suspicious as to whether his own benefit claims were valid.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Having had a look at Barry Brooks, we then became aware of the name Derek Arnold.
0:07:17 > 0:07:23Derek Arnold's name had come up as somebody who had also counter-signed documents
0:07:23 > 0:07:25as a manager in claims to Access to Work.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30It was clear from the fact that he was signing these things that he had a significant role in the company.
0:07:30 > 0:07:36Further examination identified him as a co-director of Access Audit Corporation.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Derek Arnold was Barry Brooks' boyfriend,
0:07:39 > 0:07:44who claimed to suffer from spinal bone spurs, sleep apnoea and carpal tunnel syndrome,
0:07:44 > 0:07:49which meant he was unable to lift, carry and walk distances unaided.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52He also needed help cooking, washing and using the toilet.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Further analysis of the claim forms made it clear
0:07:57 > 0:08:00he was claiming virtually the same as Barry Brooks was,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03which is the full range of Access to Work payments.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08When you worked out the sort of sums that could be involved, what was it looking like?
0:08:10 > 0:08:16Thousands, tens of thousands of pounds that were being paid out, potentially.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21Looking back through the claims that Barry Brooks was making on behalf of himself and his employees,
0:08:21 > 0:08:26it was estimated that he was raking in a staggering ?29,000 per month.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32And there was one type of expense claim in particular that really stood out.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36This investigation had some real concerns about some claims
0:08:36 > 0:08:40that were being made for taxi fares for a supposedly disabled person.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45This disabled person was allegedly travelling from Cardiff to Orpington,
0:08:45 > 0:08:52perhaps as many as five days or six days a week by taxi in order to work in Orpington.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Now this is a substantial taxi journey to take
0:08:55 > 0:08:59there and back on the same day and complete a full day's work.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00It caused a lot of concern.
0:09:02 > 0:09:08It wasn't just the impracticality of the journey that was raising concerns.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11The cost of the taxi was ?800 for the round trip.
0:09:14 > 0:09:20The man claiming to make this trip was architect Steven Isaacs, who damaged his legs in a car accident.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24He was employed by Barry's company to offer advice
0:09:24 > 0:09:27on adapting buildings to improve disabled access.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Steven Isaacs' role within Access Audit Corporation was quite
0:09:33 > 0:09:37an obvious one and necessary really for the job they were doing.
0:09:37 > 0:09:43It was clear from the pattern of these claims that they just couldn't be genuine.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48It certainly appeared that people were claiming six days a week, 50 weeks a year
0:09:48 > 0:09:52and it just looked such an unbelievable sum of money.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55If these claims were fraudulent, Barry Brooks and his company
0:09:55 > 0:10:02were claiming nearly ?350,000 a year of taxpayers' money fraudulently.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Something had to be done to find out if the expense claims were real.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11There was no option but to conduct surveillance.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15We'll find out later if the team were able to get to the bottom
0:10:15 > 0:10:18of Access Audit Corporation's outrageous claims.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28For now, though, it's time to say farewell to the scroungers trying to fleece the system
0:10:28 > 0:10:30and hello to those who we call our saints -
0:10:30 > 0:10:35people who do everything to make sure that those in desperate need of help, who are too proud
0:10:35 > 0:10:38or simply don't know how to help themselves, get what they deserve.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47The benefit system in the UK is undergoing big changes.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50From the introduction of universal credit,
0:10:50 > 0:10:56to the reassessment of people claiming crucial benefits like Disability Living Allowance.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00For people with disabilities, these benefits are vital to their everyday lives
0:11:00 > 0:11:05and the changes being brought in can add yet another thing to worry about.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10It's something UK charity the Epilepsy Society has witnessed first hand.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Earlier this year we began to get increasing calls to our helpline
0:11:14 > 0:11:16about the changes to benefits.
0:11:16 > 0:11:17People were extremely worried
0:11:17 > 0:11:20about their benefit changes and how it would affect them.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23The new benefit system is very complicated to understand
0:11:23 > 0:11:27and so we thought that providing information would be one of the most
0:11:27 > 0:11:30practical things we could do to support people.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35The charity's organised the benefits roadshow in order to help people
0:11:35 > 0:11:39who suffer from epilepsy navigate their way through the changes.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44The benefits claims process is not straightforward,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47but it poses particular challenges for people with epilepsy.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Epilepsy is a variable and fluctuating condition
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and it affects everybody in a different way.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56This means it is very difficult to talk about a typical day in relation
0:11:56 > 0:12:01to what somebody is or isn't able to do and whether they're able to work.
0:12:01 > 0:12:07One epilepsy sufferer attending the event is Shirley Jones from Seaford in East Sussex.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11I'm here today to find out more about the benefits
0:12:11 > 0:12:15and the changes in benefits and how they affect people with epilepsy.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Because I've got epilepsy myself.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Shirley spent years battling with the benefits system
0:12:20 > 0:12:24and appreciates just what the charity's trying to do with their event.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Because it's not counted really as a physical disability,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33but it's also if you look at the way they do benefit claim forms,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36it's not counted... It is not a mental health issue.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39And the way the form is split, it's split into two,
0:12:39 > 0:12:45so in a way epilepsy is stuck there, even though people sometimes don't think,
0:12:45 > 0:12:50they read the information and think, "I don't fit into those categories."
0:12:50 > 0:12:53For Shirley, finding out about epilepsy and the type of benefits
0:12:53 > 0:12:58that sufferers can claim is absolutely essential.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01She's suffered with epilepsy from a very early age.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06To be honest, I can't remember much about my very early childhood,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09because I was having seizures from the ages of about 18 months
0:13:09 > 0:13:12into the age of seven, nearly every day.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18So a lot of that time I cannot remember.
0:13:18 > 0:13:24Her daily seizures and the stigma that comes with the condition made going to school an ordeal.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28I first became aware that I was having seizures when I was six
0:13:28 > 0:13:33and other people at my school, children at my school, would be teasing me about it.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Because they didn't know anything about seizures.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39So it was quite upsetting.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Today, over half a million people in the UK suffer from epilepsy,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47a condition that can be very misunderstood.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Epilepsy's a condition of the brain.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56Every person will have a threshold
0:13:56 > 0:14:01where if the correct stimuli happen, this can lead to an epileptic seizure.
0:14:01 > 0:14:07Having unprovoked epileptic seizures is a condition called epilepsy.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12Even we are now in the 21st century, epilepsy still carries a lot of stigma
0:14:12 > 0:14:17and sometimes it can affect people more than the condition itself.
0:14:17 > 0:14:23For Shirley and her family, the seizures were making life at school impossible.
0:14:23 > 0:14:29She went to school at five or six and they couldn't cope with her.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33But they thought it was bad behaviour.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Which I suppose it was, to them.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41But eventually they asked us to take her away from the school.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46At the age of seven, Shirley had been placed permanently into a special needs school.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49There was no National Curriculum then, so we weren't entitled to it.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52All we got was reading, writing and arithmetic.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Oh, yes, and country dancing!
0:14:55 > 0:14:57That was basically...
0:14:57 > 0:15:03And then we didn't have... They might incorporate a bit of history,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06but it wouldn't be the standard that you would have at secondary school.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09And it was frustrating, because I wanted to learn more
0:15:09 > 0:15:13and up until the age of 12, I was reading books that
0:15:13 > 0:15:15were for around four-year-old, five-year-olds.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19And I was told that it was mainly because of the epilepsy.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Shirley left school at 16 with no qualifications.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28And although, thanks to medication, she hadn't had a seizure since the age of seven,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30she had almost no chance of getting a job.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Over the next 20 years, Shirley tried several jobs,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38but she found herself unable to carry out the physical
0:15:38 > 0:15:40and mental tasks that were required of her.
0:15:42 > 0:15:48What I really wanted to do was, I wanted to learn, and I also wanted to work
0:15:48 > 0:15:53and I wanted to get a job that I could actually be proud of and move up in the world.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00Often it is misunderstood by people in human resources, employers
0:16:00 > 0:16:08and they will always associate epilepsy, for instance, with people having seizures at work.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12They might have other fears of people with epilepsy.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Which will lead to misunderstanding and this will make
0:16:15 > 0:16:19the life of people in the job market very difficult.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Even though Shirley wasn't suffering from seizures,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27she just couldn't hold down a job and was relying on the small
0:16:27 > 0:16:30amount she was getting in Jobseeker's Allowance.
0:16:30 > 0:16:36But she wasn't giving up, and at the age of 36 she decided to follow her dream to go to university,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40and signed up for an access to higher education course to get her there.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44To afford to do the course, she needed Disabled Student Allowance
0:16:44 > 0:16:48and it was this reassessment of her disability that would change her life.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54So the college arranged for me to see an educational psychologist.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57He assessed me.
0:16:57 > 0:17:02Basically, he says, "Yes, you have got dyslexia and dyspraxia,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05"which is affecting your reading and your writing and your spelling.
0:17:05 > 0:17:13"Even though it is moderate, it does affect your ability to learn and you need support."
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Finally, it became clear - it wasn't the epilepsy that had been holding Shirley back,
0:17:17 > 0:17:23it was two completely undiagnosed conditions - dyslexia, which affects the reading and spelling of words -
0:17:23 > 0:17:29and dyspraxia, a coordination disorder that can affect basic motor skills like walking
0:17:29 > 0:17:33and fine motor skills like writing and picking up small objects.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38That was when everything came together.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43And I've always had the diagnosis of epilepsy all of my life
0:17:43 > 0:17:46and all of my problems that I had with education
0:17:46 > 0:17:50and learning have been blamed on that, and suddenly
0:17:50 > 0:17:54I was told, no, that's got nothing to do with your epilepsy,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58it's to do with the dyslexia and dyspraxia.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Shirley was awarded disability student allowance
0:18:00 > 0:18:06and was accepted to study politics and sociology at Sussex University.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Her benefits enabled her to access computer software that helped
0:18:09 > 0:18:12sentence structure, spelling and organisation.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15And the university - who knew and understood her conditions -
0:18:15 > 0:18:21ensured she wasn't marked down for spelling and she got extra time in examinations.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25They treated me as if I was an intelligent person.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27They looked at what I was actually putting down on the paper
0:18:27 > 0:18:31and what I was saying in seminars, more than what my handwriting was like.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36Shirley had spent years knowing that it wasn't her epilepsy that was holding her back,
0:18:36 > 0:18:42but that she had been unfairly labelled and, as a result, her education suffered.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Through sheer determination, she went to university.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49Shirley was well on the way to the degree that she had always dreamed of,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53but in her final year the stress of her course began to take its toll.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00I'd achieved the first stage of my dream, which was to go to university.
0:19:00 > 0:19:07Like, my brother and my two sisters all went there, and I thought, "I'm doing it now.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09"I've got what I want to do.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11"And I was so happy."
0:19:11 > 0:19:16But in her last year at university, she had a bad epileptic seizure.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20The medication she'd been on for years had simply stopped working.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24I spent that year type of denying that the epilepsy had come back.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29So I think I was more concerned that I don't want this to affect me getting a degree.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34Incredibly, Shirley ploughed on, and in 2007 she graduated
0:19:34 > 0:19:39with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics and Sociology.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41I thought I was going to get a third.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46"Oh, I got a 2.ii, that's good! Oh, it's a lot better than I thought I'd get!"
0:19:46 > 0:19:49So I was really very, very happy about it.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54Yeah, we were over the moon when she got her degree,
0:19:54 > 0:19:59you know, it's an achievement and we were really proud of her.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03Finally, after years of struggling with education and the workplace,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Shirley had proved her conditions didn't define her,
0:20:06 > 0:20:12but as we'll find out later, putting her new qualifications into practice was no easy task.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Now, from those in need of help
0:20:19 > 0:20:22to those people that are out to fiddle the system.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Here in the UK, the Department for Work and Pensions
0:20:25 > 0:20:27has a safety net in place to help
0:20:27 > 0:20:32those who are genuinely diagnosed with an illness or disability.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35You could end up with a blue badge to help you get around,
0:20:35 > 0:20:40a much-needed cash injection or even home help, and that's only fair.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45But what isn't fair is when some people try to use that safety net
0:20:45 > 0:20:49to systematically scam you and I, the taxpayer.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Now, it is just a very small percentage of disability claimants
0:20:54 > 0:20:55who do cheat the system,
0:20:55 > 0:20:59but the money they fraudulently claim does add up.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01One man claiming disability benefits
0:21:01 > 0:21:05was 55-year-old Christopher Pope from Bolsover in Derbyshire.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Since May 2000,
0:21:07 > 0:21:11he received Disability Living Allowance at the higher rate.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15On his claim forms, Pope had told the Department for Work and Pensions
0:21:15 > 0:21:17that he needed help seven days a week
0:21:17 > 0:21:20and to walk he needed either a stick or his wife's arm
0:21:20 > 0:21:24due to very severe pain in his hip and back.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28In fact, his condition was so bad, he said even going outside alone
0:21:28 > 0:21:31was a no-go due to the fear of falling over.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35This restricted lifestyle was due to osteoarthritis.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41Osteoarthritis is a degenerative wear-and-tear arthritis of the joints
0:21:41 > 0:21:43characterised by pain.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45It usually gets worse with time.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49It's either in weight-bearing joints or in joints that are used often,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53so, for example, the joints of the hand, the knees and the hips.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57Pope told the authorities that he'd had to give up his previous job
0:21:57 > 0:22:00as it involved minor lifting that caused him discomfort
0:22:00 > 0:22:02but that he was managing to work
0:22:02 > 0:22:05in another, more manageable, lower-paid job.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09To help him out, the Department for Work and Pensions gave him
0:22:09 > 0:22:13around ?50 a week in Disability Living Allowance.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Disability benefits are vital in allowing a person to perform
0:22:16 > 0:22:20normal, functional tasks of daily living, walking and care.
0:22:22 > 0:22:23If they were not available,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26that person would be left in a situation where they could not cope
0:22:26 > 0:22:29and couldn't look after themselves on the most basic level,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33being unable to prepare a meal, go to the toilet and walk.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35That safety net is very important.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40For Pope, it was the "getting about" bit that was essential.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43He chose to have part of his benefits put towards a car,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46courtesy of the Motability scheme.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52But in April 2011, his eligibility came into question.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55An anonymous tip-off from a member of the public wound its way
0:22:55 > 0:22:58through the World Wide Web to the DWP's fraud investigators.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05The allegation suggested Pope wasn't as disabled as he'd been stating.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09In fact, the allegation said his job involved heavy lifting.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12If true, his claim to benefits would be in serious doubt.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Investigators immediately contacted his employer,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21who was completely unaware Pope had any form of disability.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24As the saying goes, "the camera never lies",
0:23:24 > 0:23:29so the investigators put Pope under surveillance.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Dr Javid Abdelmoneim is an independent doctor.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35While it's not his job to assess benefit claimants,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37he does treat people with Pope's condition,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39and we asked him to examine
0:23:39 > 0:23:43the footage the investigators shot of Pope doing his day job.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47Ironically, his job was as a driver delivering mobility aids.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52He's working alone and in different locations,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54so I presume he is the driver of this van,
0:23:54 > 0:23:58a high van that he needs to step into to drive,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02which would require a good range of movement at your hip
0:24:02 > 0:24:05and to sit in a seated position for a while,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08which for someone with severe, debilitating arthritis of the back...
0:24:10 > 0:24:13..could be considered difficult, especially for a whole day.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19Investigators had discovered that Pope was working full-time,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22so that meant a lot of driving and delivering.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25And what about his claims that he was only able to walk
0:24:25 > 0:24:2840 yards in approximately seven minutes?
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Here he's seen carrying lighter objects,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34where he strides at full pace with no limitations.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38There's a normal rhythm and gait to his walking.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41He seems to be perfectly comfortable.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44OK, no issues with walking, then.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47But Pope also claimed to the DWP
0:24:47 > 0:24:51that he stumbled four to five times a week.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53So, he's walking at a normal pace,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56he's lifting cumbersome, heavy objects.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01Here he's seen lifting a reclining chair
0:25:01 > 0:25:02which is big and bulky,
0:25:02 > 0:25:07by himself, with no aid from anybody or any mechanisms in the van.
0:25:09 > 0:25:10He's walking at a normal pace.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13There's no evidence of limp or pain in his back or hip.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16He's not doing it slowly, he's not doing it gingerly,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18as one might expect if someone was in severe pain.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Pope had been under surveillance for a month
0:25:22 > 0:25:25before investigators decided they had enough
0:25:25 > 0:25:28to be able to put some serious questions to him.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33In January 2012, he was interviewed under caution.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36The evidence and surveillance footage was shown to him,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38and Pope went into confessional.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42He admitted he'd exaggerated that he was virtually unable to walk
0:25:42 > 0:25:47and admitted he had no entitlement to the benefits he'd been getting.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Finally, some honesty.
0:25:52 > 0:25:53After the interview,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56investigators were keen to know the whereabouts
0:25:56 > 0:25:59of the Motability scheme car the taxpayer had been funding,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03as it was conspicuously absent from their surveillance footage.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07It lived in his garage, only coming out on Sundays to be washed.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09He considered it his pride and joy.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15That may be, but I bet Pope wasn't too proud of the fact
0:26:15 > 0:26:19he'd claimed over ?23,000 in benefits he wasn't entitled to.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23In July 2013 at Derby Crown Court,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27he pleaded guilty to failing to notify a change in circumstances
0:26:27 > 0:26:30regarding an improvement in his mobility condition
0:26:30 > 0:26:35and was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 12 months.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39He was also ordered to do 200 hours' unpaid work
0:26:39 > 0:26:42and received a two-month curfew tag.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Like Pope, the public purse is now in better health,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48as his Mobility car was taken off him,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51and he's since paid back every penny that he stole.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58It's time to return to the people
0:26:58 > 0:27:02who legitimately need help from the welfare state.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05Shirley Jones was diagnosed with epilepsy as a baby,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08and although she'd not had any seizures for 15 years,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10she'd been sent to special schools
0:27:10 > 0:27:13which didn't offer any real qualifications.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17As an adult desperate to become a valued member of society,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21it had been discovered she'd also been suffering from dyslexia,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23a learning difficulty,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26and dyspraxia, which affects coordination.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28With her new diagnoses,
0:27:28 > 0:27:32she finally got the benefit support she needed and gained a degree.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37I did three years of a Politics and Sociology BA
0:27:37 > 0:27:42and I graduated with a 2.ii in Politics and Sociology.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48I've got what I want to do, and I was so happy.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52So... I just can't explain it, really.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54It was fantastic news,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57and all Shirley wanted to do was go out and get a decent job.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00But she was still in denial that her seizures had returned,
0:28:00 > 0:28:04and they were now happening monthly.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07She'd applied for and got Jobseeker's Allowance once again,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11but it was this claim that worsened her condition even further.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16The stress of JSA and its limitations on the amount of jobs
0:28:16 > 0:28:20you've got to apply for each week or else you're sanctioned...
0:28:20 > 0:28:23My seizures are stress-related,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26and there's a good chance that the epilepsy will return.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28The Jobseeker's Allowance benefit
0:28:28 > 0:28:31is there for people who are fit and able to apply for work,
0:28:31 > 0:28:33but because of her conditions,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Shirley simply wasn't able to keep up.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39She was being sanctioned, which means that her JSA was reduced,
0:28:39 > 0:28:44because she wasn't able to apply for the right number of jobs.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46She desperately needed some advice.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49I was shopping in our local shopping centre,
0:28:49 > 0:28:54and they had Epilepsy Society volunteers in the shopping centre.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57I went over to them and started talking to them,
0:28:57 > 0:28:59and they had a load of leaflets about epilepsy,
0:28:59 > 0:29:01but it was actually talking to people
0:29:01 > 0:29:04and finding out other people's experiences. It really helped me.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09The volunteers at the society invited her to a local group
0:29:09 > 0:29:13to chat with other sufferers about the problems they faced.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18I was able to talk to people there about how my epilepsy affected me
0:29:18 > 0:29:24and about issues, such as employment, which were most important to me,
0:29:24 > 0:29:30erm, whether it was worth me going onto benefits, disability benefits,
0:29:30 > 0:29:33whether this will be an advantage or a disadvantage.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37The society directed her towards the right benefits,
0:29:37 > 0:29:42and they told her to apply for ESA, or Employment and Support Allowance,
0:29:42 > 0:29:44instead of JSA.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47More importantly, they told her how to fill in the forms,
0:29:47 > 0:29:51advice the society knows is crucial to those with epilepsy.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54The assessment form for Employment Support Allowance
0:29:54 > 0:29:55is a largely tick-box form,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58and I know there's space to write additional evidence
0:29:58 > 0:29:59about how the condition affects you.
0:29:59 > 0:30:04Many of the questions ask for an answer "yes", "no" or "sometimes".
0:30:04 > 0:30:07For someone with epilepsy, this is very difficult to answer,
0:30:07 > 0:30:10because for most people with epilepsy the answer is often
0:30:10 > 0:30:12"on some days" or "it depends".
0:30:12 > 0:30:15It doesn't fit neatly into a tick-box.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19With the right help, Shirley's move onto ESA was successful.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24Changing from Jobseeker's Allowance to Employment Support Allowance
0:30:24 > 0:30:26made complete sense for Shirley.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Make no mistake, she wanted to work,
0:30:29 > 0:30:31and getting the right benefits meant that she could focus
0:30:31 > 0:30:35on applying for the right jobs without undue pressure.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38As a result, Shirley was no longer having seizures,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41and her epilepsy was under control.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45Not only that, they informed her that she was also entitled
0:30:45 > 0:30:47to Disability Living Allowance,
0:30:47 > 0:30:50which she went on to successfully claim,
0:30:50 > 0:30:54hugely easing the burden on her day-to-day living expenses.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Having a support network there of people that actually understand
0:30:57 > 0:30:58what you're going through,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01that helps you apply for benefits
0:31:01 > 0:31:05that in the back of your mind you know that you're entitled to
0:31:05 > 0:31:09but you think, "Well, should I apply for this?", and things like that.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13It helps you be confident about going to work
0:31:13 > 0:31:15and thinking, "Yes, I am able to do this,
0:31:15 > 0:31:17"I've got the right experience for this."
0:31:17 > 0:31:18My epilepsy should not affect me...
0:31:18 > 0:31:19Well, it will affect me,
0:31:19 > 0:31:25but if it does, there are ways of actually getting support, and that.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28It was there that she met Trevor Hutton,
0:31:28 > 0:31:30a regional manager at the society
0:31:30 > 0:31:32who was there at one of her support meetings.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34I first met Shirley...
0:31:34 > 0:31:38I remember it very well, I was doing a presentation on
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- would you believe? - public attitudes towards epilepsy,
0:31:41 > 0:31:45and this was to a group in Eastbourne.
0:31:45 > 0:31:46At the end of the meeting,
0:31:46 > 0:31:49he was saying the most important thing is
0:31:49 > 0:31:51the information volunteers.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54And I thought, "Yes, this is something I can do."
0:31:54 > 0:31:57So I said, "Yes, I'd like to become a volunteer."
0:31:58 > 0:32:02Shirley now volunteers at her local hospital twice a week,
0:32:02 > 0:32:06giving people that have been newly diagnosed and their families
0:32:06 > 0:32:08advice on how to cope with epilepsy.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12I've been able to actually help people get rid of the fears they have
0:32:12 > 0:32:16and the stigma around epilepsy and what it contains
0:32:16 > 0:32:20and let people realise that it isn't the end of everything.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22And with Disability Living Allowance
0:32:22 > 0:32:24now changing to the Personal Independence Payment,
0:32:24 > 0:32:28epilepsy sufferers have to get their heads round
0:32:28 > 0:32:29a new application process.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33But at the society's benefits roadshow in London,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36help is at hand for those that are struggling.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40Shirley's attending in order to brush up her volunteering knowledge.
0:32:40 > 0:32:46I'm also here partly for the people that I'm providing information for.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50People with epilepsy who I speak to really want to work if they can,
0:32:50 > 0:32:52but they want to know that the system's there for them
0:32:52 > 0:32:54for the times when they're not able to work,
0:32:54 > 0:32:56when they need that extra support.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58Shirley's volunteering is helping her confidence,
0:32:58 > 0:33:02and at the same time she's helping others.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05Shirley is delightful.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09She's really committed to what she does
0:33:09 > 0:33:14and is incredibly reliable, giving good information,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17and I am pleased to say that we have her on board.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21Shirley is a very determined person.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26And everything she's done she's done on her own.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28And she's never down.
0:33:29 > 0:33:34I've never seen her down, always up for it...
0:33:36 > 0:33:38..which...
0:33:38 > 0:33:41must take some doing, really, mustn't it?
0:33:41 > 0:33:44For many years, Shirley's conditions were misunderstood.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46She was excluded from society,
0:33:46 > 0:33:50and she had no idea what benefits she was entitled to.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53If I could say one thing to the Epilepsy Society,
0:33:53 > 0:33:56I would like to say, "I'm glad you're there. Thank you very much."
0:33:56 > 0:33:59And now that she's got volunteer training under her belt,
0:33:59 > 0:34:02well, who knows what could come next?
0:34:02 > 0:34:06In the future, I'd like to get a job in disability campaigns.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08That was the reason why I went to university.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11That's the reason I chose to do politics and sociology.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16Shirley will be the first to tell you
0:34:16 > 0:34:20that she still has a journey ahead of her to get where she wants to be,
0:34:20 > 0:34:24but having finally got the right support and advice,
0:34:24 > 0:34:27she's in a better place than ever before.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29And she's now using what she's learnt
0:34:29 > 0:34:33to help other people understand a bit more about epilepsy.
0:34:39 > 0:34:40Time now to return to those
0:34:40 > 0:34:44who think nothing of pinching from the public purse,
0:34:44 > 0:34:46the world of the scrounger.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50Barry Brooks was suspected of defrauding the Access To Work scheme
0:34:50 > 0:34:52for hundreds of thousands of pounds
0:34:52 > 0:34:57by submitting what investigators suspected were bogus claims.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00At a very early stage,
0:35:00 > 0:35:06I became aware that there could be a considerable fraud taking place,
0:35:06 > 0:35:09a massive attack on the taxpayers' money.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Because of their concerns, the Department for Work and Pensions
0:35:12 > 0:35:16had decided to place Brooks, along with his boyfriend Derek Arnold
0:35:16 > 0:35:20and their employee Stephen Isaacs, under surveillance.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22When we commenced our surveillance operation,
0:35:22 > 0:35:25our objectives were relatively simple at the start.
0:35:25 > 0:35:30All we needed to do, really, was to see whether people arrived
0:35:30 > 0:35:33at the Access Audit Corporation business premises by taxi.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36After all, that's what the claims were being made for.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39So we wanted to see whether Brooks, Arnold - in fact, anybody else -
0:35:39 > 0:35:43arrived by taxi and left the business premises by taxis.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45We saw Brooks and Arnold leaving their address
0:35:45 > 0:35:46but not going to the business.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50However, our people that were watching the business
0:35:50 > 0:35:53saw a number of women turning up.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57So it was quite clear that, yes, there was a business running there,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00and there appeared to be staff employed there.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03We very quickly realised that these members of staff
0:36:03 > 0:36:04had no idea what was going on.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07It was quite clear that they were not involved in the fraud.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11But investigators strongly suspected Isaacs, Brooks' employee,
0:36:11 > 0:36:16who'd been making extortionate taxi claims from Cardiff to Kent.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20We saw no sign of him at the premises over quite extensive surveillance,
0:36:20 > 0:36:22nor did we see him leave his own house.
0:36:22 > 0:36:23So we had serious concerns
0:36:23 > 0:36:26about whether he was conducting any business
0:36:26 > 0:36:29for Access Audit Corporation at all.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31The surveillance not only uncovered
0:36:31 > 0:36:36that Isaacs never once made the ?800 taxi ride to the company premises,
0:36:36 > 0:36:40it also highlighted some other very interesting information
0:36:40 > 0:36:42about Barry Brooks, too.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46In fact, at no point when we were watching them did they use a taxi.
0:36:46 > 0:36:52It was always a range of vehicles - a Range Rover, Jaguar, Mercedes.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55So, over the period of the mobile surveillance, we watched,
0:36:55 > 0:36:57for example, Brooks and Arnold shopping together,
0:36:57 > 0:37:02taking a trolley, loading the bags into the back of the car.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06We see them walking the length of a high street,
0:37:06 > 0:37:09walking, in the estimation of the investigator, possibly a mile.
0:37:09 > 0:37:14You have to bear in mind that he is claiming to be working at AAC
0:37:14 > 0:37:16and requiring a support worker
0:37:16 > 0:37:19to look after him for that period of time.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23These two men claimed to be so severely disabled
0:37:23 > 0:37:25that they couldn't walk unaided
0:37:25 > 0:37:29and needed help with everything, from lifting to going to the toilet.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33It was now clear Brooks and Arnold were not entitled to the benefits
0:37:33 > 0:37:37and Access to Work grants they'd been claiming on their own behalves
0:37:37 > 0:37:40and potentially for every employee in their company.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44The investigators were now convinced
0:37:44 > 0:37:46that the Access Audit Corporation was a sham.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48They just had to prove it.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52In March 2010, police and the DWP struck.
0:37:54 > 0:37:59This was an incredibly complex arrest to arrange for several reasons,
0:37:59 > 0:38:03one of them being we had a number of addresses to check.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07We were very wary that if we attended the addresses separately,
0:38:07 > 0:38:10that somebody would alert someone else.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14The police and DWP officers raided the Access Audit Corporation
0:38:14 > 0:38:18and the homes of Brooks, Arnold and Isaacs.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21They confiscated computers, company accounts
0:38:21 > 0:38:24and bank-account information.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Brooks' account showed that not only was he a company director,
0:38:29 > 0:38:33he owned five properties, including the house he shared with Arnold,
0:38:33 > 0:38:38a penthouse apartment in Spain and a motorcycle shop.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40But it was analysis of the confiscated computers
0:38:40 > 0:38:43that provided the most important information.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48We have e-mails going backwards and forwards
0:38:48 > 0:38:50between the main perpetrators of this fraud
0:38:50 > 0:38:52indicating not just that they knew each other,
0:38:52 > 0:38:55which, actually, is vital to our case,
0:38:55 > 0:38:59but also discussing how to make this fraud work,
0:38:59 > 0:39:01how to get round Access to Work,
0:39:01 > 0:39:04what to say to justify certain claims,
0:39:04 > 0:39:08e-mails that showed quite clearly that they were well knowledgeable
0:39:08 > 0:39:11in what they were doing and that what they were doing was wrong.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14They even found scammed copies
0:39:14 > 0:39:17of all Brooks' companies' employees' signatures,
0:39:17 > 0:39:21which they would use to make expense claims on their behalves,
0:39:21 > 0:39:23completely unbeknownst to them.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26Brooks would, of course, keep the cash for himself.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30And e-mails proved that Isaacs was in on it, too.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33Brooks, Arnold and Isaacs were brought in for questioning.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39In the interviews under caution, Brooks and Arnold both no-commented.
0:39:39 > 0:39:44They gave no response whatsoever to our questions.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48Mr Isaacs spoke. He attempted to give explanations.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Unfortunately for Mr Isaacs,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53his explanations were completely disproved.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57But suddenly, Barry Brooks started to suffer a relapse.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59I had the reports from my investigators
0:39:59 > 0:40:01of his behaviour during the arrest,
0:40:01 > 0:40:04where he couldn't be moved out of a wheelchair,
0:40:04 > 0:40:06he couldn't step up one step
0:40:06 > 0:40:10to go towards the interview room in the police station.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14It just didn't seem that this could possibly be the same man.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17The three men were released on bail and a court date was set.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20However, this was postponed four times,
0:40:20 > 0:40:23as Barry Brooks claimed he was too poorly to attend.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28The team wasn't convinced and decided to do some more digging.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30An internet search revealed
0:40:30 > 0:40:33that not only was Barry Brooks pulling a sickie,
0:40:33 > 0:40:36he was potentially pulling a few pints, too.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40This new search suggested he was the landlord of a country pub.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44Andy decided to pay him another visit.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46The surveillance in the pub was very interesting.
0:40:46 > 0:40:51What I found was Mr Brooks serving behind the bar.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54He was walking completely unaided,
0:40:54 > 0:40:57without any sign of any discomfort whatsoever.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01It was clear that, unfortunately, Mr Brooks and Mr Arnold
0:41:01 > 0:41:04were going to have to be re-arrested and re-interviewed.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07So we called in the police,
0:41:07 > 0:41:11and the police were perfectly willing to re-arrest them.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13On the 6th of June 2012,
0:41:13 > 0:41:17the three men finally appeared at Southwark Crown Court in London.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21Isaacs pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to defraud,
0:41:21 > 0:41:23and Brooks, attending in his wheelchair, and Arnold
0:41:23 > 0:41:25both pleaded not guilty.
0:41:25 > 0:41:30But after a seven-week trial, the pair was found guilty
0:41:30 > 0:41:33and sentenced to eight years in prison.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35Isaacs received a two-and-a-half-year sentence
0:41:35 > 0:41:38because it was felt that by pleading guilty
0:41:38 > 0:41:40he'd saved the taxpayer a lot of money.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Over the years, Barry Brooks had fiddled the taxpayer
0:41:43 > 0:41:48out of ?27,000 in housing benefit and council tax benefit,
0:41:48 > 0:41:52over ?77,000 in personal care grants
0:41:52 > 0:41:56and swiped over ?1.9 million
0:41:56 > 0:41:59from the Department for Work and Pensions.
0:41:59 > 0:42:04That's a total of over ?2 million pinched from the public purse.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06The Department for Work and Pensions...
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Well, they wanted their money back.
0:42:09 > 0:42:10So where are we in that process, then?
0:42:10 > 0:42:15Have we got most or all of that ?2 million?
0:42:15 > 0:42:16Where we are in the process
0:42:16 > 0:42:19is that Brooks has had what's called a confiscation order
0:42:19 > 0:42:20made against him.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22At the outset, we would have restrained a lot of this money,
0:42:22 > 0:42:25and some of that money has gone to pay some of the costs
0:42:25 > 0:42:26involved in this case.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29Basically, Brooks now has to pay
0:42:29 > 0:42:32an order in excess of... I think it's around ?300,000,
0:42:32 > 0:42:35the intention being that as and when he comes out of prison,
0:42:35 > 0:42:37he has no assets left,
0:42:37 > 0:42:40that all the money that he's accrued as a result of his criminality
0:42:40 > 0:42:43will have gone, so he has nothing to come back to.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48It's a staggering sum of money, and if you think about it,
0:42:48 > 0:42:52Brooks and his merry men are a bit like Robin Hood and his gang...
0:42:52 > 0:42:54in reverse,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57stealing from people who really deserve and need
0:42:57 > 0:42:58the Government's help and money
0:42:58 > 0:43:01and using it to make themselves rich.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04It's reassuring to know that not only have they lost their freedom
0:43:04 > 0:43:06but that the money that they've made
0:43:06 > 0:43:11from this elaborate and deceptive scam should soon follow suit.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd