A married couple from Essex who lived a 'somewhat lavish lifestyle' on fraudulent benefits and tax evasion have been sentenced. Steve Benstock, 62, was jailed for five years, while his wife Kim, 69, received a nine-month suspended sentence at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
The couple claimed over £600,000 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and evaded taxes over a 17-year period. They used the money to build a property portfolio 'reminiscent of the boardgame Monopoly' and enjoyed holidays to Thailand and the Caribbean, as well as owning a holiday home in Fuerteventura.
Steve Benstock was found guilty of 12 counts including benefit fraud, deception, and cheating the public revenue. He used the alias 'Steve Twinley' to open bank accounts and claimed to have 'no money in any bank accounts' while holding over £32,000 and assets worth £400,000. Kim Benstock was convicted of seven counts related to housing benefit, council tax benefit, and capital gains tax evasion.
The total fraud amounted to £628,031.18. The court heard that the couple claimed means-tested benefits from July 2002 to July 2019 while failing to declare rental income and property sales. Judge Franklin stated the money was 'set aside to help the most vulnerable in society' and that 'greed on both your parts' led to the fraud.
Work and Pensions Minister Andrew Western said: 'This is a stark example of the kind of brazen fraud that this Government is determined to root out. The game is now up and this case should be a warning to others.' The DWP and HMRC investigation uncovered the couple's double life, including sham tenancy agreements and hidden assets.
