Benefit Fraud Court Process
All cases start in the Magistrates Court. Depending upon your means you may be entitled to Legal Aid.
MJP solicitors will assist you by completing Legal Aid on your behalf and then providing full high quality advice and support throughout the course of the proceedings.
During the case we will look at all aspects of the evidence to see whether it is admissible or not, and take instructions from any relevant witnesses. These can be friends, family, neighbours, employers or any other relevant agency.
We will represent you in Court and provide a high quality service. Even if the overpayment is a large amount, negotiations can be held with the Department for Work & Pensions to lower the overpayment figure or alternatively a notional entitlement offset report can be applied for. This is a report by a Welfare Benefits Advisor who will offset any loss in terms of the benefits fraudulently claimed by providing details to the Court of benefits that a person may have been entitled to but did not claim. For example, if somebody was working whilst claiming benefit then any overpayment figure could be offset by their entitlement to tax credits.
Free Advice Available
If you have been arrested, interviewed or are due in court for a benefit fraud matter then speak to a solicitor today for free advice on 0333 011 0515 or contact us using the contact form on this page.The government has recently withdrawn the right to legal aid funding for representation at Social Security Appeal Tribunals meaning that vulnerable claimants are unlikely to have representation at such hearings. These changes come into force next year and may well result in benefit claimants being unjustly saddled with bills for many thousands of pounds which they can ill afford.
At MJP Solicitors we will explore every avenue of defence including whether the DWP have followed their own rules and regulations in relation to benefit entitlement and overpayment. In many cases before the Magistrates Court and the Crown Court we will draft legal arguments in support of our client's case. These arguments go into sufficient enough detail for our clients to use, together with any evidence that we have gathered, before the Social Security Appeal Tribunal to hopefully ensure that the right decision is made in any civil proceedings that our client may jointly face.
Going to Court for Benefit Fraud?
If you are due in court for a benefit fraud matter and would like advice and/or representation from experienced an solicitors firm then call us today on 0333 011 0516, our lines are open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Our services are available throughout England and Wales including Liverpool, Manchester and Southport.
If you are unable to call MJP solicitors alternatively you can send us a message through our enquiry form or leave your name, contact number and a time below and we'll get back to you.
