Pencoed woman found guilty of council tax fraud

A woman from Pencoed who illegally claimed just over £7,200 in council tax support from Bridgend County Borough Council has been prosecuted.

Cardiff Magistrates Court heard that Mrs Heather Thomas of Beechwood Grove, Pencoed submitted a claim form for council tax reduction in May 2019 to the council which she knew to be false, as she had failed to declare an additional bank account, failed to declare shares she held in Tesco Plc and failed to declare income from a pension scheme.

An investigation revealed that during the period of her claim, which ran from May 2019 to August 2022, Mrs Thomas received payments into her bank account totalling £282,673.28 which she failed to report to the council, meaning she was not entitled to the £7,233.31 she received in Council Tax Reduction.

Mrs Thomas entered a guilty plea on Thursday 18 July 2024 at Cardiff Magistrates Court and as a result, was prosecuted for six offences under the Council Tax Reduction Scheme (Detection of Fraud and Enforcement) (Wales) Regulations 2013.

She was fined £504.00, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £202, investigation costs of £1,500 and legal costs of £650. The council have also recovered the £7,233.31 wrongly claimed.

We are here to support people who are genuinely experiencing difficulties in paying their council tax bill. And in those cases, we would encourage you to contact us in the first instance so we can assess what support can be offered.

However, if we discover people abusing the system, our message is clear - where necessary, investigations will be followed through to prosecution.

As well as deceiving the local authority, illegally claiming support for council tax or any other type of benefit can ultimately lead to higher taxes and reduced services, impacting all our residents.

Councillor Eugene Caparros, Cabinet Member for Resources

If a resident is experiencing financial difficulty, they should speak to our Revenues Team to explore the options available. Advice and information on the help available can be found on the council’s website.