Pension fraud can have a negative impact on a wide variety of different parties, in multiple different situations. Allegations and convictions of pension fraud can be devastating, to both individuals and companies. Pension fraud is a complex legal area where an appreciation of the relevant laws is essential, as the surrounding landscape represents a legal minefield.
Pension fraud is a serious crime, and seeking legal advice at the soonest opportunity will likely do a lot to help your case and mitigate any further damage.
What is pension fraud?
Pension fraud covers a wide variety of fraud-related crimes, generally covered under the Fraud Act 2006. All of these revolve around untruthful information provided by a party, to cause personal gain, or damage to another.
Pension fraud can be committed by a variety of different parties; it can include the fraudulent selling of pension schemes to individuals, failures by companies to comply with pension laws, or individuals claiming benefits from a pension scheme that they were not entitled to.
Pension fraud sentencing
The sentencing for pension fraud is incredibly varied, in line with the relative severity of each case. The amount gained as a result of the fraud will have a significant impact on the severity of the sentence. Frauds which involve a number of various parties who can be proven to have conspired together will be treated far more seriously, with sentences of up to 10 years incarceration. In this case, it will be important that the prosecution can prove that there was a conspiracy to defraud.
Smaller frauds, often termed opportunistic fraud, will tend to carry a far more lenient sentence. Opportunistic fraud could also constitute defrauding the UK government’s Department for Work and Pensions, through the provision of false personal information. To better understand the implications of your specific case, it will be essential to contact a solicitor with in-depth experience in fraud cases.
Ashcott Solicitors – What we can do to help
If you’ve been charged with pension fraud, the first thing you should do is seek legal advice. Our team of solicitors have extensive experience with fraud cases and the surrounding legal areas, and can provide you with a premium service.
If you’re concerned that you might not be able to afford legal advice, you might be entitled to legal aid. We can help you navigate the application process to find out if you’re eligible; if successful, the government will either subsidise or fully pay for your legal representation.
We will be there to advise and guide you through each stage of the investigation and trial. With serious cases that proceed to trial, your solicitor will be able to advise you before and during interviews. Your solicitor will then be able to help you prepare your case and get you ready for trial. Should you receive a result that you and your solicitor are unhappy with, we will help you appeal the result.
If you’re facing pension fraud charges, call us now on 0161 234 0020 (Manchester) /0203 053 8625 (London) / 07956 555979 (24 hour), or you can also contact our team at Ashcott Solicitors via our contact form. We will respond to your message as soon as possible.
