Barrow-area Taxi Driver Sentenced After Illegally Claiming £7,200 in Universal Credit Benefits

A taxi driver has been given a sentence at South Cumbria Magistrates Court after admitting he fraudulently obtained Universal Credit benefits worth £7,203.79 by failing to declare his true financial circumstances.
Gergely Tomasovszky, 43, of Meadow Close in Burton-in-Kendal, pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false statement to secure benefits. Prosecutors told the court that when he first applied for Universal Credit in April 2020, he declared savings of just £6,000 within the allowable threshold.
However, over the next three years Tomasovszky amassed around £85,000 in savings and failed to notify the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) of the change in his financial position a legal requirement which, if ignored, voids entitlement to the benefit.
As a result of the undeclared capital, he continued receiving payments he was no longer eligible for, accumulating more than £7,200 in Universal Credit between April 2020 and July 2023.
During sentencing, a defence solicitor said Tomasovszky expressed deep remorse and was “fully ashamed of himself.” The court heard that he has no prior convictions and admitted the offence at the earliest opportunity.
The Department for Work and Pensions is now working to recover the funds paid out in error under the fraudulently maintained claim.
Benefit fraud is treated seriously by authorities because it undermines the integrity of the social security system and takes funds away from those genuinely in need. Members of the public who suspect someone of benefit fraud can report it through official channels for investigation.