A woman from Birmingham has been sentenced to a 24-month community order after admitting to fraudulently claiming social care funds totally £35,464 from Birmingham City Council.
Francine Best, also known as Francine Smithen, aged 64, pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud and two counts of money laundering at an earlier hearing at Birmingham magistrates’ court. She was sentenced on 29 October, at Birmingham Crown Court. The community order included a 25 day rehabilitation activity requirement.
Ms Best failed to inform the city council of her mother’s death in September 2020 – whom the direct payments were for – and continued to claim them and spend the fund on herself until it came to light in February 2022.
An investigation by the council’s fraud team also found that Ms Best falsely told a social worker in September 2021 that her mother was alive.
Additionally, she provided false information from the outset of the direct payments claim, pretending that care for her mother was being provided by the patient’s granddaughter. In reality, the care funds were going into Best’s own bank account and she was spending them on herself.
Cllr Mariam Khan, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said: “These payments are meant to help and support our elderly and vulnerable residents be as independent as possible and get the support they need.
“For someone to abuse the system in such a way is appalling to see, and I want to offer my thanks to the council’s fraud team for a thorough investigation and I hope this prosecution acts as a deterrent for anyone else trying to falsely claim taxpayers’ money.”
