‘Greedy’ HMRC worker who stole £300k in child benefit only has to pay back £1

27 comments

1. Article Text –

   A “greedy” tax office worker who defrauded the taxpayer of more than £300,000 in child benefit only has to pay back £1, a court has ruled.

   Tracy Ashbridge falsely claimed three of her children were disabled and also submitted false tax credits claims for another 15 children. She used details from her work computer system of members of the public to facilitate some of the frauds.

   She was jailed for six counts of fraud while her husband, Robert Ashbridge, who helped her in one of the offences, was given a suspended prison sentence. Now her case has been back before Newcastle Crown Court under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

   The court heard she benefited to the tune of £305,952 but, as she has no available assets, she must pay back just £1 – unless she comes into money in the future.

   Prosecutor Neil Jones told the hearing: “She has no available amount to satisfy the order. There is absolutely, definitely, no available sum.”

   Ashbridge had worked for HM Revenue & Customs from 2012 and had access to child tax credit claims as her role was to process them. The court heard she was paid just over £11,000 a year.

   The mother-of-four began offending in 2015 when she made claims for child tax credits for her three youngest children. She thought other claimants suspected of offences were not being investigated and the “temptation became too much”, the court heard.

   She made false claims that her children were disabled, which resulted in more than £180,000 being fraudulently obtained.

   At one point Ashbridge messaged her husband saying: “Shall we have another child” and he replied saying “Are you taking the ****, how we meant to do that.” She replied: “Not physically lol” and he said “Do you mean money?”. She then asked if he could think of a child to use and he suggested a name and date of birth and Tracey replied with a texted kiss.

   Ashbridge had access through her work system to legitimate claims made by members of the public and used that to her advantage. One family had written to HMRC saying they were moving to Poland and she claimed money for herself for their two children, a total of £59,000.

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3. I mean they appear to live in a house.

   If it’s not rented then that should be sold and the money reclaimed from there.

4. “He speaks of him being a trustworthy member of the congregation of his local church and he is trusted in the running and administration of the parish”

   Thou shalt not steal. They probably want to have a look at the books at that church too.

   You would think claiming for 15 children would produce some kind of automated alert that this claimant should be checked up on.

5. How do you benefit from £306,000 and have no available assets to show for it?

   It’s £40,000 a year on top of their wages.

6. Headline’s a bit misleading if you read the text she’s paying £1 but if she ever comes into money in the future she’s got to pay the government back. She’s also been sent to prison, not just fined.

   I suppose it’s only to be expected that the second Labour take over the right wing press begin with the “ohh benefit scroungers” complaining again, as though the Tories haven’t been in government for 14 years until like 2 weeks ago.

7. A white couple committing benefit fraud? But i thought it was all the immigrants doing this?

8. You’d like your think this is an isolated case but

9. Where did the money go? Surprised there’s no assets they could take to recoup the money.

10. So…crime really does pay?

    Shameful display of the legal system

11. “They didn’t live a particularly lavish lifestyle.”

    I live right next to Sunderland, majority of it is a shithole. And apparently she has no cash assets. I’d love to see her bank statements to see where they’ve spent £300,000 whilst living in Sunderland.

12. >Prosecutor Neil Jones told the hearing: “She has no available amount to satisfy the order. There is absolutely, definitely, no available sum.”

    What happened to the money? HMRC must know where the money was paid into, can they or the police examine that/ those bank account(s).

13. I feel that tax fraud should be punished more severely because it represents not only material theft but also an utter disregard and disdain for the wellbeing of the community. To me, that seems more severe.

14. Only mitigation is MPs cooking expenses. MPs go to their next cabinet post while ordinary  get court. 

15. There should be a rule that when you steal do jot matter who you are and what you steal you have to give back at least 150%

16. Will HMRC use AI and automate the benefit systems? So less chance of this happening again.

17. And HMRC sent me a bill because some stupid idiot can’t do their job on their end.

18. When are people who steal and take going to actually have to pay back the costs of what they steal? Don’t care if they don’t have the money, that’s tough, don’t steal

19. Maybe we should start spying on bank accounts of civil servants

20. Good for her. I wish I had an opportunity to pull scum like that knowing how weak UK justice system is.

21. They have nothing to pay it with? The kids have houses I bet.

22. So she earned £11,000 a year, stole £300,000 in 9 years so she personally averaged £44,000 a year.
    Her partner worked as a chef as well, so that means combined wage would be anywhere between £55-65,000 a year and they have no assets?

    Fuck off.

23. This really annoys me.

    Years back, when we were still getting child tax credit, I renewed the forms with due diligence. We were told that my daughters college attendance meant that the credit could continue. All the relevant information was supplied

    When she left, it was decided there had been an ‘error’, and we were, in fact, not entitled and had to pay it all back. It fell slightly short of the ‘full time’ requirement, but we had been upfront about this from the beginning. This was in 2018 and we are still servicing the debt as its so large. It is going to take us years.

    But they literally defrauded HMRC and have only to pay a £1 .. how is that fair?

24. Fuck me does anybody on here ever actually read the article?

    “The court heard she benefited to the tune of £305,952 but, as she has no available assets, she must pay back just £1 – **unless she comes into money in the future.**”

25. They should have to pay it all back plus interest. So they are nothing really.
    Fucking disgusting.

26. Im starting to wonder why I bother dragging my arse out of bed to go to work every day.

27. Yeah, because the HMRC workers that steal just £10k are sensible, not “greedy“. And they don’t have to pay anything back. Some of them even receive a bonus for their honesty.