London gang convicted after claiming more than £50m in Universal Credit
The three women and two men, originally from Bulgaria, were operating in the Wood Green area
An organised crime gang in north London who falsely claimed more than £50m in Universal Credit over four and half years have been convicted.
The three women and two men, all originally from Bulgaria, made thousands of false claims over four-and-a-half years.
The five admitted stealing millions at Wood Green Crown Court, and pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering.
The Crown Prosecution Service said they used real people or stolen identities to make the claims, through "benefit factories" set up in Wood Green.
Investigators said they set up a business claiming to help people claim benefits and obtain a National Insurance number.
Their claims were supported by fake documents, including forged payslips and letters from landlords, and the group would repeatedly try until they were accepted.
In total, the gang stole £53.9m, with CPS specialist prosecutor Ben Reid describing it as "the largest benefit fraud prosecution" ever in England and Wales.
Mr Reid said: “For a number of years, these defendants conspired to commit industrial-scale fraud against the Universal Credit system, costing the taxpayer more than £50 million.
“Submitting thousands of false claims, the organised criminals enriched themselves from government funds designed to protect and help the most vulnerable people in our society.
The gang - Gyunesh Ali, 33, Galina Nikolova, 38, Stoyan Stoyanov, 27, Tsvetka Todorova, 52, and Patritsia Paneva, 26 - are facing jail sentences in May.
Mel Stride MP, Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions, said: “I am immensely proud of DWP investigators’ work, in collaboration with the Crown Prosecution Service, to take down this organised crime group.
“Today’s convictions underline our commitment to protecting taxpayers’ money and it is only right and fair that we bring to justice those stealing from the public purse.
"My message is simple – if you are committing benefit fraud, you are cheating the taxpayer, and we will catch you.”
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