Wednesday 24 July 2024

Greedy HMRC Employee Defrauded HMRC £300K


 

A “greedy” HMRC 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 HMRC 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.


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21 comments:

  1. What a vile scumbag. Why do HMRC end up employing the dregs of society?
    When you can get away with bullying colleagues and taxpayers, you can get away with anything - so they think, filth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Vile scumbag".
      "Dregs of society".
      "Filth".
      I assume that this means they caught you fiddling your tax.
      Live with it.

      Delete
    2. Nice try at deflecting from the vile scumbag HMRC worker caught stealing public money...you seem really nice. Politically, you probably support the cruel two child benefit cap, but pathetically try to defend the dregs of society working inside HMRC.

      Do you have any morals?

      Delete
    3. Not a deflection at all, more a calling out of your pathetic attempt to conflate the actions of one criminal with all HMRC staff.
      The child benefit cap has, of course, absolutely nothing to do with this and is supported by both major parties. Personally I think child benefit should be means tested - I don't like my taxes going to support the upkeep of millionaire's children.
      And yes, I am really nice and have morals. Unlike hate-filled bigots such as yourself.

      Delete
  2. What did she spend the money on to have nothing to show for it?

    I assume holidays. If she was on 11K and jetting off all over the place, wouldn't that have set the alarm bells ringing?

    If it was a gastric band then she should ask for her money back, they ripped HER off.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Another HMRC fatty? Do they pay these crooks with cakes

      Delete
  3. 300k Theft, or 500 Million pounds of taxpayer money pissed up the wall

    Sign off on one project, sign on for another one. Throw in a Knighthood. If anyone can translate the bullshit in this article I'd be very grateful.

    https://www.publictechnology.net/2024/07/25/defence-and-security/hmrc-creates-500m-legacy-tech-and-security-programme-after-merging-major-projects/

    ReplyDelete
  4. I left HMRC some time ago, as a former PCS Rep this isn't good. PCS Reps aren't paid and do their best for members. I don't know the details, if three members have been dismissed, what was the 'gross misconduct'?

    https://www.pcs.org.uk/news-events/news/show-your-support-sacked-hmrc-reps

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PCS reps were ok with it when HMRC were riding roughshod of the employment rights of non-union rep HMRC staff.

      They thought the corrupt culture, that PCS turned a blind eye to, would never affect them. Oh dear

      Delete
    2. The employment rights of union and non-union staff at HMRC are, and always have been, exactly the same.
      Get a life.

      Delete
    3. So what? They thought HMRC would never come for them. They thought they would be rewarded for helping to cover up bullying and other abhorrent behaviour. Well they did. And they weren't.

      Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour - sinful behaviour has a nasty habit of catching up with scumbags. Good.

      Delete
    4. Absolute rowlocks.
      HMRC has had an openly hostile attitude towards PCS since the former's creation in 2005. This has ranged from the abolition of facility time and prevention of distribution of union literature through to trying to get PCS out of the department altogether.
      The idea of 'reward' for covering up illegal behaviour is, sadly, yet another example of your paranoid fantasies.
      Is "scumbag" the only term of abuse that you know? Try buying a thesaurus.

      Delete
    5. I hope the PCS workers all get sacked if they have broken the rules 😃

      Delete
    6. In the worst cases, staff victims of HMRC's internal bullying culture lost their health, careers, homes and relationships. Some were left contemplating suicide - it is ok to acknowledge this grim reality, talking about it will hopefully encourage others to reach out to their GP or the Samartians. PCS did absolutely nothing to support members - fellow colleagues and human beings going through a dark time for no greater purpose than the SICK gratification of mentally disturbed colleagues.
      So, pardon me if I can feel little sympathy with reps who appear to have breached clear rules.

      Delete
    7. I'm sure that the PCS will have disciplinary procedures in place for it's workers who break the rules, although I'm not sure what that has to do with HMRC.

      Delete
    8. 5th August @ 07:29.
      How do you know that PCS has done nothing to support members who are the alleged victims of bullying? You don't, as this support would have been private and confidential.
      Just because you have a personal beef there's no need to spread lies.

      Delete
  5. In a shock to absolutely nobody whatsoever.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/tax/hmrc-leaves-56000-taxpayers-on-hold-hour-hang-up/

    ReplyDelete
  6. The infamous bullying culture has consequences: a serious recruitment challenge for one

    ReplyDelete
  7. A new recruitment drive for compliance staff. This is clearly the work of genius, perhaps they can phone up the good people that got their jobs taken away from them and ask them if they'd like to come back working from home.

    This decision is worthy of Elon Musk, perhaps some muffin can get a knighthood in the honours list.

    https://www.accountancydaily.co/treasury-fund-5k-extra-compliance-staff-hmrc

    ReplyDelete
  8. Any wonder why this country hasn't got a pot to piss in. Oh.. wait a moment... Aren't they recruiting more compliance staff? I'll wager they'll bring in more than their 24k a year..

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/aug/03/free-money-4bn-lost-to-and-error-on-flagship-hmrc-innovation-scheme

    ReplyDelete
  9. I bet the fatty spent it all on donuts

    ReplyDelete