> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Brighton woman pleads guilty to £134k+ benefit fraud charge
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/brighton-woman-pleads-guilty-to-134k-benefit-fraud-charge/
- Published: 2014-05-29T16:32:02.000Z
- Updated: 2014-05-29T16:34:45.000Z
- Description: A Brighton woman has appeared at Lewes Crown Court today, Thursday 29 May 2014, for a preliminary hearing about benefit fraud she is said to have committed over a nine year period between 2004 and 2013. Janice Purdie of Shoreham Road, Hove, claimed £ 83,113.95 in housing benefit and £8,212.55 counci
- Author: Besi
- Tags: News

## A Brighton woman has appeared at Lewes Crown Court today, Thursday 29 May 2014, for a preliminary hearing about benefit fraud she is said to have committed over a nine year period between 2004 and 2013.

![Brighton & Hove Council](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/web-600165.jpg)

Janice Purdie of Shoreham Road, Hove, claimed £ 83,113.95 in housing benefit and £8,212.55 council tax benefit that she was not entitled to as she owned a property in London, and later overseas, and had over £16k in the bank. Because Ms Purdie did not declare her property assets she also received overpayments of £39,541.71 for Income Support and £3,319.17 in Pension Credit.

Ms Purdie has pleaded guilty to all charges and will now appear on June 25 2014 for sentencing.

The case is a result of a joint investigation carried out by Brighton & Hove City Council and the Department of Work and Pensions after an allegation of undeclared capital and property was made by a member of the public.

**BHCC’s senior investigator, Penny Wood, said:** *”This is a prime example of someone blatantly abusing the system despite having accrued assets that many people struggle to attain over a lifetime. The benefits system is there to support those in need and with resources ever stretched this sort of abuse cannot be tolerated.”*