Universal Credit benefit fraudster lied about having two children to claim more than £22,000

A benefits cheat lied about having two children and had to pay rent to illegally claim more than £22,000 of Universal Credit. Aqeeb Karim started the ruse after losing his job during the Covid-19 pandemic when requirements to provide evidence were relaxed.

The 25-year-old, of Geoffrey Road, Sparkhill, maintained the fraudulent claim for two years and was too ashamed to tell his family what he had done, although they are likely to find out now. Aqeeb admitted one offense of dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit.

Despite being told he had contributed to public resentment against the alleged ‘scroungers’, he was spared jail at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday, June 20, mainly because he now has a job and has started paying back the money back. Instead, he was sentenced to 12 months, suspended for two years including 25 days of rehabilitation activity and 200 hours of unpaid work.

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Aqeeb unlawfully claimed £22,958.13 from the Department for Work and Pensions between 13 May 2020 and 12 April 2022. Prosecutor Emma Richards said: “The defendant received Universal Credit for himself and two dependent children. He said he doesn’t work. and bound to pay rent to a private landlord. He had no health, no savings or other income.”

She said the benefits claim process had been “relaxed” during the Covid pandemic to allow people to be paid more quickly, without face-to-face meetings and without the same requirements to provide evidence. The court heard that Midland Housing denied Aqeeb’s account that he was renting a property from them, while it was established that he had received no child benefit.

He went on to testify that he “fabricated” his housing and child-related costs. Ms Richards added: “He admitted the two children were not his and the address was owned by his parents and he paid no rent.”

Joshua Radcliffe, defending, said Aqeeb was “remorseful and remorseful” for what he had done. He explained that he has already started paying £200 a month but plans to increase this to nearly £1,000 in the near future after starting his own recruitment business.

The lawyer added that Aqeeb was 21 when the fraudulent claim began and had “cultural obligations” to support his family financially.

Sentencing, Recorder Lower said: “You will understand that there are people who think that people claiming benefits are scroungers who can’t be bothered to work, can’t be bothered to get out of bed and I think someone else should. They fund their lives when people cheat the system, which adds to that feeling, everyone on benefits, they treat them like a racket rather than help when help is needed.

“That’s why a lot of people are upset about the fact that they pay taxes and some of the money goes to benefits, you’ve contributed to that bad feeling.”

The judge described Aqeeb’s actions as “multiplied stupidity” because of how long he carried the racket. He continued: “You have chosen not to tell your family that you are in the predicament you are in because you are ashamed of the facts of your conviction and if they knew your family they would be in utter disgrace.”

Recorder Lower confirmed he would suspend the sentence because Aqeeb is working, adding: “If I were to send you into custody that would realistically be the end of your job and the end of your job means of course the end of your payments to the DWP. .

“Not only would the taxpayers have to pay for your accommodation in prison, but the taxpayers would still lose because you wouldn’t pay back the money you actually stole.”