‘Greedy’ HMRC worker who stole £300k in child benefit only has to pay back £1

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A “greedy” tax office worker who defrauded the taxpayer of more than £300,000 in child benefit only has to pay back £1, a court has ruled.

Tracy Ashbridge falsely claimed three of her children were disabled and also submitted false tax credits claims for another 15 children. She used details from her work computer system of members of the public to facilitate some of the frauds.

She was jailed for six counts of fraud while her husband, Robert Ashbridge, who helped her in one of the offences, was given a suspended prison sentence. Now her case has been back before Newcastle Crown Court under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The court heard she benefited to the tune of £305,952 but, as she has no available assets, she must pay back just £1 – unless she comes into money in the future.

Prosecutor Neil Jones told the hearing: “She has no available amount to satisfy the order. There is absolutely, definitely, no available sum.”

Ashbridge had worked for HM Revenue & Customs from 2012 and had access to child tax credit claims as her role was to process them. The court heard she was paid just over £11,000 a year.

The mother-of-four began offending in 2015 when she made claims for child tax credits for her three youngest children. She thought other claimants suspected of offences were not being investigated and the “temptation became too much”, the court heard.

She made false claims that her children were disabled, which resulted in more than £180,000 being fraudulently obtained.

At one point Ashbridge messaged her husband saying: “Shall we have another child” and he replied saying “Are you taking the ****, how we meant to do that.” She replied: “Not physically lol” and he said “Do you mean money?”. She then asked if he could think of a child to use and he suggested a name and date of birth and Tracey replied with a texted kiss.

Ashbridge had access through her work system to legitimate claims made by members of the public and used that to her advantage. One family had written to HMRC saying they were moving to Poland and she claimed money for herself for their two children, a total of £59,000.

I mean they appear to live in a house.

If it’s not rented then that should be sold and the money reclaimed from there.

How do you benefit from £306,000 and have no available assets to show for it?

It’s £40,000 a year on top of their wages.

A white couple committing benefit fraud? But i thought it was all the immigrants doing this?

Where did the money go? Surprised there’s no assets they could take to recoup the money.

“They didn’t live a particularly lavish lifestyle.”

I live right next to Sunderland, majority of it is a shithole. And apparently she has no cash assets. I’d love to see her bank statements to see where they’ve spent £300,000 whilst living in Sunderland.

I feel that tax fraud should be punished more severely because it represents not only material theft but also an utter disregard and disdain for the wellbeing of the community. To me, that seems more severe.

There should be a rule that when you steal do jot matter who you are and what you steal you have to give back at least 150%

And HMRC sent me a bill because some stupid idiot can’t do their job on their end.

Maybe we should start spying on bank accounts of civil servants

They have nothing to pay it with? The kids have houses I bet.