Suspended jail term for £33k benefits fraudster

Shanie-Leigh Altoft was sentenced at court in Hull

A woman has been given a suspended jail term after she admitted fraudulently claiming £33,162 in benefits over several years.

Shanie-Leigh Altoft, 34, of Beverley, East Yorkshire, pleaded guilty at Hull Crown Court on 11 July to two offences of benefit fraud relating to council tax support and universal credit.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council said Altoft had failed to disclose that she and her partner were living together as a single household, which had an impact on her entitlements.

On Friday, Altoft was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

She was also ordered to carry out 15 rehabilitation activity days and to pay a victim surcharge of £187.

The fraud took place between December 2019 and February 2024.

The investigation into Altoft was carried out by East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the Department for Work and Pensions.

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