Former Asylum Seeker Charged With Benefit Fraud | |||||
Mother of Seven will appear at magistrates court on Thursday
Toorpakai Saiedi, 37, the mother of seven who made national headlines nearly two years ago after it was revealed Ealing Council paid her rent of £12,500 per month has been charged with benefit fraud.
Mrs Saiedi claimed asylum after coming to Britain in 2001 with her children, a year after her husband Haji Rahmat Shah Saiedi, 47, had arrived in London.
At the time it was reported that she was receiving £170,000 a year in benefits, including £150,000 paid to a private landlord for the rent of the property - equivalent to £12,500 a month. The Coalition is overhauling the Local Housing Allowance scheme which will limit the the maximum rent that can be claimed by someone on housing benefit to £400 a week.
The summons is for three counts of making false representations to Ealing Council with a view to obtaining housing and council tax benefit and o ne count of making false representations to the Department of Work and Pension with a view to obtaining income support. All counts are contrary to the Social Security Administration Act 1992.
25 January 2011 |