A FRAUDSTER who had been claiming benefits for more than 13 years, has been caught and convicted after buying her council house with up to £36,000 of savings.

Raj Ralhan, 79, of Turton Way, Slough who had been claiming housing and council tax benefit from the council since the year 2000, applied to buy her property under the Right to Buy scheme in 2013.

When questioned on where the money was coming from to buy the property, Ralhan gave details of savings - an amount that had never been declared in any of the benefit applications or subsequent follow ups.

An investigation was launched into the benefit claims and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was brought in to investigate claims for pension credit.

Following a prosecution by Slough Borough Council, Ralhan pleaded guilty to three offences of fraud at Reading Crown Court on Friday. February 5.

The offences related to illegally claiming a total of £65,289.19 of housing and council tax benefits from Slough Borough Council and pension credits from the DWP.

Ralhan was sentenced to six weeks for each count, to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months.

The council has already launched confiscation proceedings to get the money back.

Due to right to buy regulations, Ralhan was still able to buy her council property, complete with 75% right to buy discount – at the cut price rate of £31,500.

Under the confiscation proceedings her ownership of that home may now be at risk.

Councillor Sohail Munawar, commissioner for economic and social inclusion, said: “Benefits are not an infinite pot, and fraud by one person means that money cannot be given to someone genuinely in need."