A taxi driver has been sentenced after claiming more than £7,200 in unentitled Universal Credit over a three-year period, a court has heard.
Gergely Tomasovszky, of Meadow Close in Burton-in-Kendal, appeared at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court in Barrow, pleading guilty to dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit payment.
Tomasovszky, 43, submitted a joint online claim for Universal Credit on April 7, 2020, declaring he had savings of £6,000 through other investments or capital, prosecutor Lee Dacre said.
“The declaration information stated the defendant had to contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) straight away if there was a change in circumstances,” Mr Dacre said.
However, the taxi driver is said to have amassed savings of £85,000 over a period of months, significantly higher than the legal threshold of £16,000.
Tomasovszky ultimately claimed £7,203.79 in wrongful benefits between April 7, 2020, and July 6, 2023, the court heard.
Trystan Roberts, mitigating, said his client was “fully ashamed of himself” and is working “hard to recoup the money”.
“He has no previous convictions and pleads guilty to the offence at the first opportunity,” Mr Roberts said.
A taxi driver has been sentenced after claiming more than £7,200 in unentitled Universal Credit over a three-year period
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Getty“It is clear, he was open and honest with the DWP during his interview.
“He was going through difficult times in 2020. He is a married gentleman with two children. He was worried about their livelihoods during COVID.
“He put in a legitimate claim for Universal Credit but fairly soon after, he came into capital from family members in Hungary and Poland.
“He did not declare the money and he should have done.”
South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court found the defendant had not been dishonest from the outset
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Mr Dacre said the DWP were working with the defendant to recoup the money, while Mr Roberts confirmed he had been working significant additional hours.
“Having been prosecuted, he has worked hard to recoup the money,” the defence solicitor continued.
“He is a taxi driver and has been working 70 to 80 hours per week in order to repay the money to the DWP.
“He is taking some responsibility now. I suspect he will lose his taxi licence as a result of this conviction.
“He is probably going to have to find other employment in due course. He will do that because he has a great work ethic.”
Magistrates found the defendant was not dishonest from the outset and ordered him to complete 130 hours of unpaid work as part of a 12-month community order.