I got caught for benefit fraud last year. I went for my interview under caution and didnt hear anything for months. Then eventually I got a letter saying that the overpayment of benefits was: (nearly £3000) and i needed to set up a repayment plan. I did this. So after paying back the overpayment at an affordable amount each month i though that was it. Wrong Two months ago i got a court summons. They said that id been summoned to court for the benefit fraud and inside was all the "evidence" including a transcript of the interview under caution. I was devastated...i thought that after id started paying it back it would all be over! in the meantime (while they were taking so long to get themselves sorted) id got myself a good full time job in the financial services industry. Being in that field i was terrified that i would lose my job. so i went to my employer the day after i received the summons and they were great. they paid for a solicitor for me (even though im hoping to claim the fee back through legal aid because of low earnings) and even offered to pay the whole amount back to the benefit office and organise a more convenient payment plan straight from my salary to themselves. On seeing the solicitor, he said that as it was not a huge amount that he would try and get it settled out of court, if i could pay off the balance of the overpayment. unfortunately the benefit office didnt go for this as they must want to waste more time and money taking me to court. However the fact that i have offered to pay the balance (something we are still in the process of sorting before the court date) and that i have already started the repayment process all counts as mitigating factors in court. he has ruled out a custodial sentence and believes that i am looking at a low to medium level community order. Seeing the solicitor was the best thing to do and after speaking with him i instantly felt better about the whole situation. he said that as the case was actually at court then there would be some mark on my criminal record, however he said that it would not show up on every check. I am still awaiting my court date and obviously i am pooing myself ,however at least after speaking to him i have some idea of what is coming. he said that he has never heard of a case where some one is already taking steps to repay the balance being taken to court, he just thinks that, as someone said previously, they like to make an example of people. I think your friend should not worry and just take whats coming. Hopefully someone will understand that yeah we've done something wrong but we've said sorry and we wont do it again. Im just lucky that my employers are so kind and helpful. I couldnt have got through this if they werent!