Fraudster to pay £400k for social care claim despite buying Slough properties

A fraudster has been ordered to pay out £400,000 after he claimed money for social care despite having the means to buy two investment properties in Slough.

Aamer Pervez, 45, was ordered to fork out the six-figure sum, much of which is to be paid to Slough Borough Council, at Reading Crown Court on November 24.

Slough council pursued a legal case against Pervez to recover its lost money following him being handed a suspendend sentence at the same court last year. 

Conservative councillor Anna Wright, the local authority’s elected representative in charge of adult social care, said ‘we hope it serves as a tough lesson’ for Pervez.

Pervez was convicted in December 2023 for fraudulently claiming Direct Payments from Slough council in order to pay for social care.

Direct Payments are a means-tested payment by a council to a person to cover care expenses. They are tested according to a person’s financial situation.

Pervez was successful in his application and received payments worth £169,435.42.

But he failed to declare his purchase of two investment properties in Slough, which he then rented out to tenants.

Pervez was charged with fraud offences in August 2023 and convicted in December at Reading Crown Court.

He was handed 19 months in prison, suspended for two years, along with two 15-day rehabilitation activity requirements to run consecutively, at the same court in March 2024.

A witness statement said the money could have been used to fund care home expenses of one adult for 3.5 years, to pay for three social workers, or 9,000 hours of care at home support for vulnerable people.

Slough Borough Council said its fraud team have been pursuing confiscation proceedings against Pervez since the sentencing.

This month, Reading Crown Court judge HHJ Rowley ordered Pervez, who was present at the hearing, to pay out £376,500 in a confiscation order, as well as £23,450 prosecution costs.

A total of £292,895 would be paid to Slough council. It includes: £206,445 in compensation, all prosecution costs, and around £63,000 of the rest confiscated from Pervez.

Money must be paid within three months.

“If Mr Pervez fails to take adequate steps to ensure timely payment, he faces 45 months imprisonment,” the council said in a statement.

Cllr Wright added: “This deception carried on for a number of years and meant money was diverted from those in genuine need.

“I am delighted our fraud team was successful in identifying the fraudulent activity, for taking confiscation action and recovering taxpayer money.

“There were many opportunities for the offender to tell the truth and submit details on his change in circumstances.

“We hope it serves as a tough lesson for him but also deters others from trying to defraud us. Always update your details if it means your eligibility for certain benefits will change.

“We will never stop working in the best interests of our residents and catching out those who only have their own interests at heart.”