A Surrey man has admitted five counts of benefits fraud after falsely claiming £30,000 in housing benefit and council tax reductions while concealing significant assets and income.
Gerry Sherard, who resides on Yattendon Road in Horley, entered guilty pleas to charges involving undisclosed wealth and earnings.
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council launched an investigation in 2018 after Sherard had applied for benefits in 2016, asserting he was without employment and owned no property.
The council renewed his application three times between 2018 and 2020, during which period he continued receiving payments totalling £30,000.
Investigators subsequently discovered Sherard possessed a property in Burgundy, France, along with undisclosed bank accounts containing significant sums.
The probe also revealed he had previously owned a flat in Dubai and a property within Surrey that fetched £250,000 when sold in 2019.
Financial records exposed substantial deposits into his accounts, including £126,000 in 2016 and £185,000 two years later.
Between February 2016 and July 2019, Sherard spent close to £400,000 at upmarket establishments, with transactions recorded at Harrods, the Ritz hotel, and various restaurants in Mayfair.
Sherard is scheduled to appear at Guildford Crown Court on May 29 | GOOGLE MAPS
Council investigators also identified payments for private jet travel and school fees among Sherard’s transactions.
Simon Rosser, who heads revenues, benefits and fraud at Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, said: “Our fraud team works closely with internal services and external partners to ensure public funds are protected and that those who deliberately seek to abuse the system are identified and held to account.
“This case is a clear example of our commitment to uncovering complex benefit fraud and pursuing it through the courts, demonstrating that fraud will not be tolerated within the borough.”
In October 2020, Sherard was twice interviewed under caution, but opted for ‘no comment’ responses.
Sherard is scheduled to appear at Guildford Crown Court on May 29, where he will learn his sentence for the five fraud offences.
Nearly two in five people of working age in one UK area are claiming out-of-work benefits, making it the country’s unemployment capital.
In total, more than 38 per cent of residents aged 18 to 65 are currently receiving state support.
The figures highlight a sharp divide in job prospects, with thousands relying on benefits amid limited opportunities.
A Welsh valleys community has emerged at the centre of this trend, with Blaenau Gwent topping the list of benefit dependency hotspots, according to Department for Work and Pensions data.
The coastal resort of Blackpool ranks second nationally, with 36.4 per cent of its population claiming benefits.
Out of 41,235 working-age residents, 15,772 are claiming support, including 6,773 people receiving Universal Credit with no requirement to search for work.