Mr Haroutine ‘Harry’ Yervant (69yrs) is the surviving partner of an NHS Pension recipient.
Upon his partner’s death in 1996 as well as claiming surviving partners pension benefits he was also entitled to and claimed for the pension benefits child allowance that was payable for their two children whilst they were in full time education. He claimed for his daughter being in full time education from 2003 until 2013. However, a query by his daughter into the amount of tax she was paying to HMRC led to the case being looked at by NHS Pensions who referred it to the NHSBSA Fraud Specialists.
Through the course of their investigation they discovered that Mr Yervant had claimed that his daughter was in full time education at Leicester University between Sep 2010 and Sep 2013 and had completed and signed three declaration forms which he returned to NHS Pensions. Enquiries revealed that his daughter had left Leicester University in 2003 and the forms dishonestly completed by him were false/fraudulent. As a consequence of his actions he dishonestly obtained £6307.75 to which he was not entitled to from NHS Pensions.
He was interviewed under caution as a voluntary attender at Southend police office where he admitted being dishonest in his actions concerning his declarations made claiming his daughter was at Leicester University in order to carry on obtaining the NHS pension dependants child allowance. A prosecution file was submitted to the CPS and a decision made to summons to court.
On 19 June 2017 he submitted a guilty plea at Southend Magistrate’s court and was sentenced to:
- 18 Weeks imprisonment concurrent on each offence.
- Victim surcharge and costs waived.
- Fine of £6,198.72 payable 28 days on release.
He has appealed the prison sentence and was released on unconditional bail pending this appeal being heard at court (date not yet fixed).