Syed Zaidi, 41, and his wife Rizwana Kamal, 40, have been jailed six months apart, they claimed they were being persecuted in their native Pakistan and urged the Home Office to give them shelter, claiming £150,000 worth of handouts.
Benefit Cheating Couple Syed Zaidi and Rizwana Kamal Jailed for 1 year in Manchester
Syed Zaidi and Rizwana Kamal arrived in UK on student visa both are University Graduate and then claimed asylum seekers in Britain and claimed benefits, child tax and working tax credits and child benefits for their three children – as well as free accommodation because of the asylum seeker status.
Couple was given free accommodation and other welfare payments worth £150,000 – despite having more than £250,000 in savings.
Couple won the right to stay in the UK during their four year scam between 2012 and 2016. Despite claiming benefits, they moved into a house in Denton, Tameside and bought two cars.
Both were sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court after they admitted benefit fraud charges. The judge sent Syed Zaidi, 41, to jail first and after he complete his sentence Rizwana Kamal will serve 6 months in jail, so that their children are not sent into car to avoid further expense to the taxpayer.